Legacy of Legends
by Viperwatcher
Summary: Spyro and Cynder had saved the world. But their life was just getting started. With dragonkind slowly rebuilding itself and new dragons appearing, a new threat looms ahead. Can the legends manage to keep the legacy of peace? COMPLETE.R&R PLEASE
1. Chapter 1 Respite

**WELL HELLO HELLO HELLO EVERYBODY!**

**It is me once again, Viperwatcher. After going dark for so long, I AM BACK! With a new story on board! Honestly, at this point, I'm glad that I still can write fics. After scrapping idea after idea, I finally decided to take a break from it all and just relax. And relax I did; which is why I've been gone...for like what? A month or so? I don't know. Rest assured, I am not dead. For those of you who do know me, you know where I usually am at. Heck, if you know where that is, you can even contact me, since I am VERY active THERE. **

**Brushing that all aside. NEW STORY! WOOT! I am feeling a bit sad that my stories aren't getting much attention as they used to. *sigh* Oh well. As long as they are readers, and they leave reviews, I am happy. **

**I FEED OFF REVIEWS! WITHOUT IT I DIE! **

***ahem***

**So yeah. After thinking things down, writing it all up, I finally came down with something...different. I wanted to write something close to what I know, but at the same time unique to the point that it differs from your usual story. And before you think, NO. This ain't another "Human-goes-to-Dragon-Realms" fic that I normally am capable of. Very far from that. So like I was saying, the tone of the writing here is reminiscent of my fic "A Human's Verve".**

**You could even say that this is somewhat of a soul sequel to it.**

**Well enough chit-chat from me. I think it's time I let you guys read the story for yourselves.**

**There may be some plot holes that I may have overlooked, I apologize in advance. I tried my best in making all the canon characters stay in character, but I had to improvise at certain points, since I really couldn't imagine how would they react.************Lastly, Spyro fanfic fans ********who are reading this, ********please take ********note.******** I am not a pro at writing so don't expect me to be great because _I'm not_. Got that?**

**So with all that said and done, I present the 1st chapter of my new story,**

**Legacy of Legends**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story. **

* * *

Chapter 1

Respite

The sky above them proved to be a useful omen.

She couldn't believe the extent of the things she had done.

After all, she had single-handedly carried a full grown dragon on her back, all the while flying in a narrow hole, in an effort to escape their certain death trap. It was unheard off, but not impossible. After all, she had done it. She lied down as she rested on the soft green grass. Not that she was sceptical, but she certainly accepted death when it seemed that all hope was lost. Of course, the entire world was splitting apart, and only one dragon seemed capable enough to stop it.

The Legendary Purple Dragon, Spyro; the one lying next to her, still sleeping; it must have taken a great toll on him to procure a strong enough power to piece the entire world back together. This rest was well earned and well deserved; for both of them; for her, Cynder and for him, Spyro. She lied down, suddenly surprised at how exhausted she really was. Now that she had time to reflect, she realized that she and Spyro had been battling their way and trying frantically to survive ever since they had been released from the crystal. They only had gotten a short time of rest, when they had reached Warfang.

And now that peace was evident, she welcomed sleep with open paws.

0 0 0 0 0

Spyro couldn't remember when he had regained consciousness, but when he did, he nearly jumped out of instinct. As the memories flooded back to him, he realized he was no longer inside Malefor's Lair. Nor was he in any sort of danger whatsoever. He was, however, outside, much to his surprise. He sighed, noticing his efforts weren't in vain. He knew it was a long shot, but it had felt right. When the moment came, he summoned all of his power, and tried to stop the inevitable end. The gamble paid off, and here he was, standing at the Dragon Realms he saved. He looked to his left, and saw his companion. Cynder was sleeping faintly right beside him, a smile on her maw. Spyro couldn't have asked a better companion to have. She was the best partner he ever had. For now, she just let her rest, as he stretched and flexed, checking if anything had been broken when he had fought the Dark Master.

Malefor…

The name sent shivers down his spine. The last time he had seen him, he was being dragged down by the spirits of the Ancients, and no doubt getting sealed off to wherever place he was sent. No, that wasn't the thing that scared him. It wasn't Malefor's actions that scared Spyro. It was who Malefor became. It scared him how Malefor had said, that the fate of the Purple Dragons was to bring the Great Cleansing. To literally destroy the world; it contradicted everything Spyro stood for. Was it true? Was Malefor speaking the truth? Or was he lying?

The question could only be answered by Malefor himself.

Whichever the case was, Spyro prepared himself for the worse. If it had come to the point, where the darkness that existed inside him, begun to unravel, he'll surely fight back. He had fought it and was successful before. What was to say he'd fail now? Where it mattered most?

Spyro's musings was stopped when he had heard a faint stirring behind him. Turning around, he saw Cynder now slowly waking up.

"Good morning sleepy head," he said, walking towards her.

"Look who's talking. I'm beginning to think Sparx wasn't lying. You are very heavy Spyro," she retorted. Spyro however was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I had to carry your sorry rump out of that cave, and into the forest. That's what I mean."

Spyro smirked, half annoyed, and half enjoying the somewhat poor insult. Cynder stretched, coughing slightly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

"That's good to hear."

Cynder went over to the side, and looked at the cliff edge. She had specifically chosen this area for them to rest, since no one would be able to disturb them, if they were to fall asleep for a long time. They were high up, and the only way to get to them was to fly.

"Where are we anyway?" asked Spyro looking around.

"We're near Twilight Falls."

Spyro nodded. "Oh."

"Well, let's get going then, we want to get to Warfang before night fall." Cynder spread opened her wings, and prepared for flight.

"Right behind you."

A few moments later, the two dragons were soaring up at the sky, gently gliding over the wind currents that made flight easy. Spyro noted how comfortable it was to fly. Without the chain that bound the two of them together, manoeuvring was so easy now. With Cynder leading the way, Spyro glanced at the side, looking at the horizon. The sun was now beginning to set. No doubt that there little rest atop the cliff edge was far longer than he had thought.

"You'll think we'll make it before nightfall?"

Cynder looked back. "I doubt it."

"Well, let's find a place to camp out, before its night."

"Agreed."

0 0 0 0 0

The minutes ticked by, as fast as the fire before them burned. Night had now fallen and the two dragons were lethargically positioned beside the fire Spyro had made. True to the prediction, they hadn't made it and so decided to just camp out for the night. Twilight Forest wasn't exactly a dangerous area, so it was okay. And as for the location of their campsite, they need not look for one.

"Honestly Spyro, I didn't think of this," commented Cynder.

"Me either. I guess it was by chance I happened to see it when I was looking for a spot."

The two dragons were at the same exact location they had camped out before. When they were with Hunter the Cheetah; the very same location they were knocked out, as they were ambushed by the cheetahs in the surrounding area.

Spyro smiled. "But at least now we know that we won't be getting hit by any knockout balls."

"Yeah…that really hurt…"

Cynder stared at the burning fire before her. Finding she was bored, rather than sleepy. She had been sleeping for most of the day, so she still had enough energy to keep her going. They only stopped for the night, since it was a bad idea to venture out during the night. Spyro on the other hand, rested his head on his paws, as he lied down beside Cynder.

"You're awfully clingy," said Cynder looking at him.

Spyro looked surprised at her. "Oh, sorry; force of habit."

Yes it was force of habit indeed. When they had slept for the night back at Warfang, Spyro was forced to sleep close to Cynder. The chain that had bound them together, dictated to them so.

Cynder giggled. "Not that mind or anything."

Spyro raised a brow, and resumed his position back beside her. At that moment, a cold gush of wind blew by, making both of them shiver from the cold. The small campfire before them nearly got blown out, but managed to sustain itself. Thinking rationally and the gentleman he was, Spyro used his wing to cover Cynder partly, and press her up close to him.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Keeping you warm."

Cynder had to admit it to herself, what Spyro did made her cheeks go red.

"T-thank you…" she replied timidly.

"You're welcome."

That was when Cynder noticed that Spyro was staring at her.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing…" he trailed off. "I'm just happy you're here by my side."

"I'll always be by your side Spyro, no matter what."

However, the peaceful moment had reached its end.

A snap of a twig broke the silence between the two of them.

In complete sync, Spyro and Cynder turned their heads to the direction where it came from. In a flash, they got up to their feet, and prepared themselves for whatever it was. Spyro glanced at Cynder, who nodded back. Cynder opened her maw, and summoned a glob of acid. With striking precision, she chucked it at the brush before them, a splash evident as it hit the ground.

But the splash wasn't the only sound they heard. Along with the crackling of the acid, a voice was also audible.

"Oh my go—OW!"

Clearly Cynder hit her target with one hundred percent accuracy.

"What is this stuff! OW! That burns! OW!"

The brush before them shook violently, as the acid burned it down. Spyro and Cynder just watched, quickly glancing at each other once, before turning their attention back to the brush. A few seconds later, a dragon, stumbled out. This, the two did not expect. From the dim light they had, Spyro could tell that he was an electric dragon. His yellow scales glowed under the light of the fire. The dragon was nursing a paw before it looked up and noticed the stare of the two dragons.

"Eh…hi?" He said, with a sheepish grin on his face.

Cynder voiced the question that was both on her and Spyro's mind.

"Who are you?"

The dragon smiled broadly. Standing up, he puffed out his chest. "Zaze is the name; Zaze the dragon."

"And what are you doing here?" asked Spyro, raising a brow.

"That…" Zaze looked down, a sudden change in his demeanor. "I don't know."

Cynder cocked her head, lowering her guard. It was obvious that this dragon was friendly.

"You don't know?"

Spyro did the same. "Why is that?"

"Well it's a long story…" trailed Zaze.

Spyro glanced at Cynder. She nodded at him.

"We have the time. We're willing to listen."

Spyro turned around and positioned himself beside the campfire; Cynder right behind him, returning to her position beside him. The new comer sat back down across from them, seemingly relieved that there was a source of warmth before him.

"So Zaze, what's your story?"

Zaze sighed, and then looked the two of them both in the eye.

"That's just it. I don't have a story. Aside from my name, I don't remember anything else about me. I don't who I am."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Yeah. Zaze has amnesia. I did it again. Deal with it. I love me them amnesiac dragons. Having them have amnesia is both beneficial for me, in a writer's perspective, which is why I did it. **

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	2. Chapter 2 Back at the Temple

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Back at the Temple

"You seem awfully energetic for someone who has complete loss of memory," commented Spyro.

Zaze shrugged. "I don't know; you could consider as a trait I guess. I'm just too happy."

Spyro smiled. "I guess that's a good thing."

The two dragons were around the fire, relaxing and preparing to go back to sleep. Earlier, they had the discussion of introductions, and now, Zaze was well informed of who they are. Spyro being the guy that saved them all, and Cynder being the one who changed sides; Cynder was already fast asleep, lying beside Spyro, using his wing as a blanket. Zaze stared at the two of them, and a question welled up inside him.

"So…is the dragon of legend having the ex-terror of the skies as his mate?"

Spyro blinked, caught a bit off guard at his statement. He scratched his chin, appearing to not know how to react. Zaze however just chuckled at his predicament. This made Spyro feel puzzled. He raised his brow.

"What's so funny?"

"Expected as much; you don't know what to say don't you?"

Spyro sighed. "I don't. I mean…I don't know. My feelings are getting me confused."

He sighed once again, and just felt contented to look at Cynder as she slept.

"Cheer up bro; once the time comes, you'll know what to say when fellow dragons ask you. You can trust me on that." Zaze emphasized this statement by grinning and giving him a supposed 'thumbs up'.

"I guess you're right."

There was silence between them for a moment, as they just contented to stare at the slowly dying fire before them. The moon was now at the top, meaning it was midnight. Zaze yawned, feeling tired and sleepy. Exhaustion washed over him, like a cold bucket of water. Before he dozed away however, Spyro got his attention.

"Zaze, maybe you should come with us, to the Dragon City, Warfang," said Spyro.

"Warfang eh?" Zaze thought of the prospect. "I guess it beats the idea of running around here, trying to survive."

Spyro smiled. "That's settled then. And besides, I think the Guardians would be interested in knowing that other dragons have survived."

0 0 0 0 0

The next day, the three dragons took off and were now in a flight trajectory headed towards Warfang. The morning was rather dull, and the three were still shaking themselves awake to even start conversation. And the fact that they haven't eaten anything, made them feel cranky. Spyro and Cynder did not even remember when the last time they ate was. Zaze on the other hand, was still as energetic as ever, albeit running on an empty stomach.

Wanting to break the ice, Zaze stared back at his flying companions.

"Are you guys really that hungry?" he asked them.

Cynder glanced at him, a tinge of annoyance in her eyes. "Yes, Zaze. We are that hungry. We haven't eaten anything for days now." Cynder's statement was even emphasized when her stomach growled.

"Even my stomach agrees with me…"

Spyro chuckled. "We're all hungry. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can grab something to eat."

"So…how big is this Warfang anyway? Is it far from here?"

"Honestly, no."

Zaze cocked his head to the side. "And why is that?"

Spyro pointed to the direction in front of him. "We're already here."

Zaze looked up ahead, and sure enough, the outline of the Dragon City was before them. Sure enough, the remnants of the siege were there. Broken buildings were scattered everywhere, and some debris lay at the roads below, creating roadblocks. However, repairs had already begun. Moles were busy up on the scaffoldings, repairing their homes and the buildings that had clear and glaring holes in them. When the three of them passed by, they stopped and waved; some even cheered. It was clear that there were happy, that the heroes who saved the world, was back; and was alive. With Spyro leading them, they eventually landed at the Dragon Temple in Warfang, and were greeted by the Guardians along with Sparx.

"You guys!" exclaimed Sparx, flying over to his brother hugging him. "Do you know how much I missed you!"

Cynder chuckled. "We missed you too Sparx."

"This is simply stupendous! Marvellous! Exhilarating!" said Volteer, running his tongue again.

Cyril immediately tried to stop him. "Oh do shut up Volteer! Just be happy that they're safe."

The Earth Guardian on the other hand, approached them, and immediately noticed the third dragon.

"Are my eyes deceiving me?" he asked, looking at Zaze.

Everyone quieted down, as they all noticed Zaze was standing there. Noticing that the spotlight was on him, he grinned toothily at them.

"Hello, my name is Zaze! Nice to meet you all!"

Then, everyone's gaze turned to Spyro and Cynder. Spyro then decided to address the question in their heads.

"It's a long story."

"Let us all head inside then," said Terrador.

0 0 0 0 0

"It is sad to hear of your misfortune, Zaze," said the Ice Guardian.

"Memory loss is truly horrific," added the Electric Guardian.

Zaze just shrugged. "Eh…I can't really say if it's sad or not. I don't really know what I missed in the first place."

"Well at least you stay positive," said Terrador. "And speaking of positive things, this is great news. Other groups surely have survived then!"

"Yes, that's what we thought too," said Spyro. Cyril then proceeded to stand up.

"I shall call on Hunter. He should be able to help us locate the other groups."

Volteer perked up. "I will help."

As the two guardians left, Sparx sat beside Zaze and looked at him.

"Wow dude, you must be really lucky then."

"Why is that?" Zaze asked.

"Because aside from our group, you're the first dragon we've found."

"Sparx is right." Terrador added as he glanced at him. "You're a sign of hope for all us."

Zaze grinned toothily. "Glad I could be."

Cynder, who was sitting beside Spyro, proceeded to stand up as well, and followed Terrador out of the room.

"Where you going?" asked Spyro.

"Well, unlike you two, I haven't forgotten that I'm hungry. I am going to get something to eat."

Spyro and Zaze just glanced at each other, and almost in unison their stomachs growled. Sparx stifled a laugh but failed.

"Wow…"

Spyro shook his head disapprovingly, directed to his stomach. "I know…" He then stood up to leave the room. Zaze followed after, along with Sparx.

"It's good for him though," said Sparx. "Spyro's gaining a bit of weight!"

"I heard that!"

0 0 0 0 0

A few minutes later, the three of them, Spyro, Cynder and Zaze were happily eating their hearts out as they helped themselves to what seemed like a feast in their eyes. Their lunch, as time dictated it to be, consisted of fresh fruits and a couple slabs of meat. Zaze was busily munching on a banana as a thought crossed his mind.

"So those dragons earlier were the Guardians right?" he asked.

"Yes," Spyro replied.

"The Guardians of the Element; the four elements?"

Sparx, who was stuffing a berry in his mouth, gulped and answered him. "Uh yeah; why do you ask?"

"Well, there's the Electric Guardian, Volteer, Ice, Cyril and Terrador of Earth…where's the fire guardian? I haven't seen him yet."

At this statement, the atmosphere around the table they were at seemed to take a slight dip. Spyro stopped munching on the steak he was eating, and went silent. It was Cynder who answered his question.

"The Fire Guardian…Ignitus…died helping us," she said, trying to choose her words.

Zaze looked at Spyro, and noticed he was troubled. He got the message that this was rather a touchy subject for him. "I see."

"Let's not dwell on things rather darkly," said Sparx cutting the gloomy atmosphere that shrouded them. "I mean, it's sad that Ignitus died, yes. But I don't think he'd like to see us mope around because he died, right?"

Zaze thought about it. "I personally don't know this Ignitus dragon, but I think the dragonfly is right."

"I have name you know," Sparx replied half annoyed.

"Oh, sorry."

"Call me Sparx."

"Well, like I said, Sparx is right. It's best to look ahead, not backwards."

Zaze's reasoning sounded true for Spyro.

"I suppose your right."

"Then smile then. Make Ignitus' sacrifice worth it."

Spyro couldn't help but smile. Zaze's cheerfulness was rather contagious.

"Zaze is right. And besides, we got a lot of things ahead of us now," added Cynder.

Zaze's cocked his head to the side. "And those are?"

"Well for one thing, we—and when I mean 'we' I mean you guys—have to help around the Temple to bring it back to working order. We need to do some renovation. This is our home."

"And here I thought I could be lazy around here…" trailed Zaze.

Cynder patted him at the shoulder. "It'll be fun Zaze. And it'll give us chance to become friends with you."

"I thought we were already friends?" he asked smartly.

Everyone laughed.

0 0 0 0 0

The day was then spent with Spyro, Cynder and Zaze helping around the Temple. They mostly helped in placing back tiles, as to where the moles couldn't reach it. Sparx was alongside them talking and talking, and doing nothing actually that contributed to the effort of rebuilding the Temple. That was where Sparx got to know Zaze.

"So you don't know who you are, aside from your name?" he asked.

"Yup; I have a clean slate."

Sparx raised a brow. "You seem awfully happy about it."

"It's not that I'm happy about it. It's just that, since I don't remember, I don't exactly know what I should be sad about."

"Good point."

Spyro on the other hand, was at the side, deep in thoughts. As he was placing tiles up at the ceiling, and welding them with his fire element, his mind however was in deep brooding. The conversation they had earlier about Ignitus' death made him remember certain details when they fought Malefor. Specifically, at that certain point when Malefor was talking to them.

0 = 0 = 0

Malefor stared at Cynder as his eyes glow an eerie yellow color. At that moment, Cynder was suddenly shrouded by darkness as her body took on an a darker form, much like Spyro was when they were at the Burned Lands.

"Cynder!" Spyro exclaimed distraughtly. Malefor just replied with a sinister laugh. Cynder however just glared at Spyro, and began to approach him.

"Cynder! No!"

"Ignitus should have warned you. You are alone here, young dragon. You have ALWAYS been alone. Still, here you are... trying so desperately to save this miserable world... refusing to accept the true role of the purple dragon."

Malefor's speech distracted Spyro long enough for Cynder to tackle him to the ground.

"I'm sure you've been told that I was the first of our kind...but I assure you, there have been many. It has been the duty of our predecessors to resurrect the Destroyer and the Golems of the deep... to bring about the great cleansing. This is the true nature of our kind. Your destiny is to destroy the world."

Spyro tried to stand but Cynder knocked him to the side, sending him across the room.

"No! I don't believe that!" he shouted at Malefor.

0 = 0 = 0

Spyro thoughts came back down to earth as he felt a sudden nudge to his side. It was Cynder.

"Spyro, you okay?" she asked, looking at him concerned.

He blinked, regaining his senses. "I am. What is it?"

"You were staring at me."

"No he wasn't!" exclaimed Zaze. "He was staring at your arse!"

Spyro blinked, realizing the implications of what he had been unconsciously doing.

"Looks like SOMEONE here like big bo—ugh!"

He was cut off as a piece of tile smacked him—which was thrown by Cynder—right in the face, causing him to stumble and fall. The moles, who were watching them, began to snicker. Sparx on the other hand just shook his head and face palmed; a smile was at the corner of his lips.

Zaze on the other hand, just raised a paw. "…I deserve that."

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	3. Chapter 3 Bet

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Bet

"Spyro, are you okay?"

Cynder asked again as she looked at the dragon before him. The two of them were at the balcony of the Temple, over looking the city of Warfang. The moon shined brightly down at them, as the stars beside it twinkled brightly. It was hours after the staring-at-the-butt incident.

"What happened back there?"

Spyro sighed turning to face her. He noted that she had a slight blush on her face. No doubt she remembered vividly how he stared at her arse.

"You've been avoiding me all day. Is something wrong?" Spyro scratched his chin, trying to form words.

"First of all, I'm sorry-" he looked her in the eye, "-for staring at your arse; that was rather rude of me."

Cynder blinked; she wasn't expecting an apology. "I-it's okay. I forgive you. And besides, it's okay with me."

Spyro looked at her with a curious stare. "It's okay with you?"

"What I mean is; if it's you its okay," she then smiled at him mischievously, "I don't mind you staring. I kind of like it." She blushed, realizing what she was saying.

Spyro was taken aback at her sudden confession. "I…uh…keep that in mind."

Cynder smiled at him. She was glad the topic of the conversation was no longer her arse. "So…what WERE you thinking **of**? Because I know you're not pervert Spyro—Zaze may be—but you, no."

Spyro chuckled at her comment on Zaze. But then he remembered what he was thinking, and his expression changed to a slight dip to a worried look.

"Cynder…do you think Malefor's right?"

"Huh?"

He walked over to the side of the balcony and stared at the stars.

"What do you mean?"

"About what he said…about the role of the Purple Dragons…about us supposedly bringing the Great Cleansing…"

"Oh that…"

Cynder stood next to him and also scanned the stars up above.

"Well, I believe that, he was lying."

Spyro turned to face her. "Why do you say so?"

"Because Spyro; because if it were true, we wouldn't be here now. You alone defied what he said."

Cynder's words rang truth in Spyro's head.

"It was your actions that saved us all. I don't think we would be here right now at this balcony, if it weren't for your efforts back at the volcano. You did piece the world back together. That amounts to something."

"I guess your right," said Spyro perking up. "I was just worried I might turn into someone like him."

Cynder shook her head. "You wouldn't Spyro. You're too good for that."

"I suppose your right. Thanks Cynder."

Cynder raised a brow. "For what?"

"For cheering me up." Spyro smiled. "Now come on, I think it's getting late. We should turn in for the night."

0 0 0 0 0

A few days later…

Sunlight crept on the electric dragon's face, causing him to stir awake. Zaze groaned as he shifted to the side, clearly relishing the comfort of the cushions underneath him. However, the rays of the sun didn't stop, and before long, it was lighting up his back. A pair of yellow orbs lazily looked around. Zaze scratched his face as his eyes adjusted to the light that was flooding his surroundings. Sitting up, he stretched like a cat; his joints popping back into place.

"Uh…my back…my poor back…"

He groaned, walking over to the door and heading out to find the bathroom. The halls **of** the Temple were silent as the inhabitants of it were yet to be awakened. The sound of his pawfalls were the only things audible as he turned to his right and was soon in the bathroom. Pressing the switch, fresh tap water came out of the faucet and he cupped his paws to wash his face.

"Ah…gotta love Mole plumbing…"

Splashing the water on his face, he turned to look at the mirror.

He chuckled. "Still looking good handsome," he proceeded to smile at the mirror as he admired his reflection.

However, his gussy up was disturbed when a rumble came from his stomach.

"Time to fill up the tank…" he said, patting his belly.

0 0 0 0 0

"Good morning Z," said a golden dragonfly.

"Hey Sparx," he replied as he sat down.

He and Sparx were at the Dining Hall, eating breakfast. Sparx was helping himself to a healthy serving of grapes, whilst Zaze just munched down on an apple and banana. He looked around, noticing that Spyro and Cynder weren't in the area.

"Where are Spyro, and Cynder?"

Sparx gulped down the grape he was eating and belched. Zaze giggled. "Nice one."

"Thank you—you know those two. Probably still sleeping; I wouldn't be surprised with Spyro; with Terrador and him working hard and all."

"I gotta agree on that one. I feel lucky that I'm an electric dragon. I don't think I could carry all those pieces."

"Uh huh…"

The two began to eat together, sparking idle chatter every now and then. A few moments later, they were joined by a black dragoness.

"Hello sleepy head," said Zaze.

"Hello early dragon," she replied smartly. "What's for breakfast?"

"Fruits, meat, the usual."

"Don't mind if I do."

Cynder grabbed a serving of meat and began to happily munch on it. Sparx belched once again, earning a disgusted look by Cynder.

"Sparx, where's your manners?"

"You're not my mother," he retorted. "Where's Spyro?"

"I don't know…still sleeping I suppose."

Zaze burped this time, but not as loudly as Sparx. "Well I'm full. I wonder what we're going to do today…"

"Probably still renovating I suppose."

Zaze sighed. "You'd think that after a week, we'd get word of other dragon groups by now…"

"Hunter and his fellow cheetahs are trying there best. Don't worry."

He turned to face Cynder. "You seem awfully confident about it. Hasn't it occurred to your mind that probably I was just a lone survivor?"

"It has. But I doubt it. You weren't injured when we saw you, so that means something."

"Well I wasn't before you sprayed acid on my feet," Zaze said jokingly.

Cynder looked a bit hurt. "Didn't I apologize for that already?"

"You sprayed acid on him? You didn't tell me that," said Sparx, listening intently.

Cynder just waved him off. "Oh Sparx details, details; what's important are the facts; nothing more."

Zaze chuckled. "You're beginning to sound like Cyril." Cynder just stared at him, whilst Sparx laughed at his joke.

"And besides Cynder, what makes you so confident that Hunter will be able to find other groups of surviving dragons out there?" he asked her.

"Well Zaze, Hunter technically was the one that found us when we were at the Catacombs entombed in a crystal."

Sparx shook his head. "I still feel that to this day. I don't want to experience being mummified again; made my voice change slightly."

"The point is, Hunter is good. He'll find them. I'm confident enough, that I'm willing to bet that he'll walk right through that door—"she pointed to the large Dining Hall double doors, "and shout lively 'Great news!'."

"Okay, I'm willing to take that bet. If he does, kiss Spyro."

Sparx choked, and began to cough violently. The two were surprised at the reaction of the dragonfly. After regaining his composure, the dragonfly stared at Zaze like he was crazy.

"Are you crazy!"

"I accept."

Sparx went wide eyed as he looked at Cynder's assertive expression.

"And if he doesn't, I don't kiss Spyro. Deal?"

"I thought you were confident that he'll arrive?"

"I didn't say when; now did I. I say the deadline is anytime today."

Zaze smirked.

"Deal then. No backing down." He then grinned cheekily. "This should be fun."

Sparx meanwhile was devastated. His brother, Spyro, is going to kiss Cynder? His world just ended. He didn't want his brother's first kiss to be shared with the evil she dragon. It was okay though. There was a fail safe. What were the chances of Hunter just appearing at the Dining Hall doors and shouting, they've found them? The probability was astronomical. It was impossible. The odds were one to a million. Maybe his world wouldn't end…yet.

Cynder on the other hand, couldn't believe what she just did. She just made a wager, involving her kissing Spyro. Her heart was beating frantically. 'What were you thinking!' she thought to herself. 'Kissing Spyro! How selfish are you? What would he think!' A bead of sweat dropped at the corner of her face as she berated herself. 'You don't even know if he feels the same way as you do!'

Zaze, however, was well learned between the relationship Spyro and Cynder had. It was obvious. The Guardians, even the moles knew that there was something there that wasn't there before. It was visible whenever they talked; whenever they moved. They just needed a push, maybe a shove, just to get those feelings out. It was only Sparx who was stubborn and refused to believe the blossoming love between the two. And Zaze…Zaze loved playing matchmaker. He found happiness in helping other dragons find happiness.

He loved being the bridge.

"This is surely going to be an interesting day," he said. "I wonder if this bet pulls through though."

"I doubt it," said Sparx negatively. "The chances are astronomical! It'll take some kind of divine intervention for it too happen!"

Divine intervention indeed; and with the power vested upon the author, he summoned forth the character, that enabled the plot to move on. Given the cue, the doors flung open and the two dragons and a dragonfly, stared at the newcomer.

It was none other, than Hunter the Cheetah. He removed his hood, and his face was visible, showing a warm smile on his face. This meant the end of the world for Sparx.

"Hunter!" he exclaimed. Then he realized the implication of the situation before him. "NOO! DON'T SAY—"

"GREAT NEWS!"

"—it…"

Cynder on the other hand felt her resolve shatter. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She couldn't back down the wager.

What was she to do now?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Yeah. I decided to post on a Wednesday. WOOT!**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	4. Chapter 4 Confessions

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Confessions

"Are you two okay?"

Spyro asked, looking at Sparx and Cynder who both had looks of devastation. Zaze however was just smiling and otherwise looked well than the other two. Seeing as the two ignored his question, Spyro turned to face him.

Zaze smirked. "Ignore them. Trust me; you'll know soon enough."

"Is this something I should be concerned about?" he asked worriedly.

"I think you should ask Cynder that."

Spyro turned to face the dragoness. "Cynder, what's going on?"

Cynder, who was looking down on the floor with a deep pondering thought, faced him. "I…uh…It's…uh…"

Clearly, she was having trouble stringing a sentence together. Her heart beat frantically as she looked at Spyro. Could she do it? Can she really do it? Can she actually kiss him? Briefly, her mind did a sort of flashback, as she remembered her specific words back at the volcano.

0 = 0 = 0

"I know what I need to do. Just get out of here, Cynder," Spyro ordered.

The entire place was beginning to break apart; the world was ending and the moment that was inevitable was finally here. The ground was shaking violently as rocks fell around them; the tremors caused even the lava that surrounded them to spill everywhere.

"Spyro, no…" she said. "You don't have to do anything. Let's just go."

"Where, Cynder? There'll be nothing left! The world is breaking apart. But I think I can stop it," he looked her in the eye, "I think I'm meant to."

Cynder looked at him, absorbing the meaning of the words he spoke. After a moment's pause, she nodded.

"Then I'm with you."

Spyro looked at her hopefully, before closing his eyes, and began to concentrate all of his energy. His body began to hover as it glowed white, the same as when Ignitus sacrified himself. As the quakes became even more violent, Cynder closed her eyes, and leaned close to Spyro.

"I love you…"

0 = 0 = 0

She had confessed her feelings for him, but it would seem that he wasn't able to hear it. Now, she was nervous on what to do. She could confess to him again, but she feared rejection. She could just kiss him upright, and tell him that it was part of a bet; but maybe this bet was the best way to tell him. Maybe this was the chance she was waiting for, deep down inside. And as Spyro stared at her, a faint blush formed on her face. What would he say?

"It's nothing."

But now was not the right moment to be thinking of delicate things. Spyro raised a brow, but eventually lowered it as he nodded.

"Okay then." Spyro turned around and went back to his place beside Zaze.

The four of them, Spyro, Cynder, Zaze and Sparx—whom had been surprisingly quiet—were standing before the Guardians and Hunter the Cheetah. Terrador was examining a scroll that was brought forth by Hunter, who was standing beside him.

"This is simply ecstatic!" exclaimed Volteer happily. "The Dragon City will finally be a city again! With dragons!"

"How many did you find Hunter?" asked the Ice Guardian.

"Ten groups in total," he said. "Five colonies and five scattered dragon nomads mainly composed of couples, hiding out in the mountain regions."

"Colonies!" asked Zaze. "Wow!"

"Yes; we've asked, and apparently, they've been surviving out there ever since the end of the war against Malefor…wait…" The cheetah stared at him; and realized that he didn't recognize him. "Who are you?"

He proudly puffed out his chest and said, "Zaze! Zaze the Dragon!"

"We've found him as we were heading back to Warfang a week ago," Cynder added.

"Oh," the cheetah said, "nice to meet you then. I'm Hunter."

"Likewise."

"When will they be arriving?" asked the Earth Guardian.

Hunter walked up to him and pointed to the scroll laid out on the table. "With the help of my fellow comrades, we've managed to make this map. As you can see here," —he pointed to the areas that had circles on them—"these are the locations where we found them. Most of them are far apart, and we'll take at least three days before they get here. However this colony right here," —he pointed to the circle closest to Warfang—"it being the biggest colony we've found, will be arriving later today."

"TODAY!" exclaimed Sparx.

"How many are they?" Cyril asked curiously.

The cheetah shook his head in shame. "I am sorry. They were too many for me to kept track."  
Terrador, however smiled with glee. "Splendid! This is truly an occasion worth celebrating!"

"It truly is. I think we should host a feast!" said Cyril, brimming with excitement.

"Shall I inform the moles?" asked Volteer.

As the Guardians and Hunter were busy bouncing around ideas of a supposed party, Zaze just sighed dejectedly at it all.

"I freaking hate parties…"

Sparx, who was floating beside him, heard his statement. "You; hate parties? I hardly believe that."

Zaze however just snorted. "I was never one for social gatherings."  
"And here I thought you'd be all over this? With you and your personality, I expected you to be a party animal."

"Nah" —he shook his head—"I'd rather hang out with you guys, rather than rock it out with dragons I don't know."

At the other side, Spyro and Cynder were having their own comments to the party that was currently being planned.

"A party?" Spyro asked puzzled. "What do you do in parties?"

"Well think of it as a gathering, Spyro. Groups of dragon gathering together for one specific reason; and our reason are that we're here celebrating that we're all alive."

"Oh, I guess that's a good thing."

Cynder twiddled with her paws, as she thought of something.

"Listen…Spyro, can I ask you something?"

He smiled brightly at her. "What is it?"

"Can we talk…later…?"

"Uh" —he was surprised at her request—"sure."

"In private?"

Spyro blinked dumbly. "Um…okay."

Back with the Guardians, things were going rather smoothly in terms of the planning.

"So a feast it shall be!" Terrador said proudly. "We shall welcome our fellow brethren with a warm welcome."

"It's a good thing we've started repairs. Or we wouldn't be able to accommodate everyone into the city. The Temple alone isn't too big to house all these dragons," said Cyril thinking loudly.

"I shall go then, and inform the moles guarding the gates, that we are expecting visitors,' said Hunter, putting his hood back on.

"Thank you Hunter. You're help is truly appreciated," Terrador said, smiling at him.

"Anytime."

And with that, the cheetah left through the door. With things set in motion, the Guardians immediately went to work into planning everything, leaving the four dragons to their own devices. Zaze headed out to the hallway and slumped himself against the wall.

"Well I'm bored…"

"What can we do?" asked Sparx, floating beside him.

Behind him, Spyro and Cynder left together, with Cynder leading the way. She was dead set in executing her plan, which consisted of her talking to him in private.

"Where are they going?" Sparx asked.

Zaze's brow rose, a smirk formed across his maw, and his eyes twinkled. "Probably somewhere private."

Sparx glanced at him and saw his expression. "Wait. Is she…"

"Yup…she's probably going to do it now."

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

Zaze turned to face the dragonfly. "Huh?"

"We should stop her!"

"And…why? I won the bet. She's supposed to kiss him."

"That's why!" shouted Sparx distraught. "This is not happening!"

Zaze sat on the ground and pondered on the thought. "What's the problem between you and Cynder anyway? She never did anything to you—as far as I know. And besides, you have no right to meddle with whom your brother chooses."

"You do know who she is right?"

"Uh…she's Cynder? The dragoness that helped Spyro save the world?"

"She's the Terror of the Skies!" Sparx shouted.

"Oh, I remember Spyro telling me that. Wasn't she alongside Malefor before she was freed by Spyro?"

"Yes she is; that's why she has that title."

"Don't you mean ex then? She isn't exactly a terror now is she?"

Sparx scoffed. "The point is, she's evil!"

"And by evil you mean?"

There was a pause. Zaze raised a brow, wanting to see what Sparx could come up with as a reason. Judging from the silence, he was going to guess that there was none.

"…I don't know." Guess was right.

"You can't let go of him can you?"

Sparx sighed. "Maybe your right…maybe I shouldn't meddle with my brother's relationships."

Zaze felt a question mark pop above his head. "About this brother thing…how are you brothers?"

"It's a long story."

"I like long stories!"

Sparx sighed, muttering something about Zaze being so inquisitive, before smiling.

"You're going to love this story then."

0 0 0 0 0

Meanwhile…

"Where are we going?" Spyro asked as they walked down the silent halls of the Temple.

Cynder turned to face him, but kept walking and said, "Just follow me Spyro."

Turning around the corner, they were soon at the balcony once again. The very same balcony they were on one week ago. Cynder walked off to the railing, and then turned around to face him.

"I guess this is a private place," Spyro commented feeling the wind brush against his face.

"It kind of is," Cynder said, looking around to check if they really were alone.

Spyro twiddled his paws, as he sat down before her. "So…what did you want to talk about?"

"Well…"

'Just tell him! Tell him your feelings! You shouldn't be afraid of rejection!'

"How do I say this…" said Cynder, looking up top, as if the answer was written on the Temple walls. Spyro however just waited patiently, looking at her as the wind blew across her scales.

'If only…if only she knew…if only…if only I **had** the courage…'

However, Spyro's thoughts were derailed, when he noticed something at the far off distance.

"Okay, I get it now. Spyro, th—"

"Cynder, listen, I—"

"No, Spyro, you listen. This is something important," Spyro blinked, a bit surprised. "This is important to me."

"I understand, Cynder." He nodded to prove his point. "It's just that I'd like to mention something as well."

Cynder's brow rose. "And that is?"

"Turn around."

Odd, but Cynder followed his request. "What are you—"

She cut herself off, as she saw what Spyro was referring to. Out at the distance, near the horizon, was an evident speck. Given a few seconds later, the speck grew in size, and both she and Spyro realize exactly what it was.

It was none other than the colony Hunter was referring to.

It would seem they had arrived earlier than expected.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	5. Chapter 5 New Arrivals

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 5

New Arrivals

"Oh…so that's how it is between you and him," said Zaze. "I never knew."

Sparx nodded as he finished telling his story. The story of how he and Spyro became brothers. Zaze lied down **on** the grass lethargically and propped himself up with one paw. There was a slight silence between the two of them as they just lied there and relaxed under the shade of a tree. Sparx was sitting comfortably on one of the tree's roots when Zaze turned to him.

"You know Sparx, you should really end this grudge of yours against Cynder."

He raised a brow. "Why is that?"

"Aside from the fact that keeping grudges is a bad thing"—Sparx snorted—"like I said earlier, you should be happy for your brother. Any brother would want their fellow brother happy, right? And love is a great thing to have!"

Sparx chuckled. "I don't remember you having a degree in Love Basics 101." Zaze rolled his eyes, but no doubt smiled. "And besides, who are you to talk about love like you know so much about it? You're the one here that doesn't know anything but his **own** name."

"Point taken; maybe you could say it's a talent of mine. I love playing matchmaker. It makes me happy seeing other dragons happy."

"Keep that mindset and before you know it you'll be miserable."

Zaze raised a brow. "Why?"

"Because you'll be too busy solving other dragons' problems rather than yours."

"I'll heed the warning," Zaze said, turning to look up at the sky again.

Then he saw something peculiar.

"Is that…is that an eagle?"

Sparx glanced up to where he was looking. "Oh, that's Chase."

"Chase?"

"Chase; Hunter's eagle."

Zaze nodded. "Oh…what does Chase do?"

Sparx face-palmed, trying hard not to laugh. Zaze just sat back up again, looking at him a bit annoyed.

"What? It's not my fault I don't know this!"

Sparx just shook his head. "Sorry. I tend to forget you don't know this stuff. Anyways, Chase is kind of like a messenger—at least that's the thing I normally see him do."

"Oh…so the cheetahs use eagles to communicate?"

"Yep; and I'm willing to bet that Chase is about to send a message to Chief Prowlus. Probably saying something like a huge group of dragons is coming."

"Chief Prowlus?"

"Leader of the cheetahs—are you writing this down? These are important details," said Sparx teasing the electric dragon.

Zaze just glared at him. "I'm not that forgetful."

Sparx smirked. "Just checking."

A gentle breeze caressed their cheeks as the trees swayed lazily. Zaze yawned, feeling the atmosphere around him slowly make him feel drowsy. Beside him, Sparx yawned as well.

"…Hey, do you see that?" asked Sparx, his eyes squinting.

"See what?"

"There at the distance." Sparx flew close to him and pointed. Zaze turned his attention and saw what he was referring to.

At the distance, Zaze could see a small speck growing in size. At first he wondered what it was. But then he recognized the shape as it drew closer and became bigger.

"Is that?"

"Yep; I think it is."

Sparx glanced at him. "Should we tell the Guardians that they arrived early?"

"I think we should. Grab onto my horn."

Sparx nodded and sat on his head as Zaze stood up. With one last look, he began to trot back up to the Temple, leaving the Grounds behind him.

0 0 0 0 0

"They're here! Already!" exclaimed the electric guardian ecstatically.

"If we weren't wrong, then yes, they are," replied Zaze.

The doors behind them suddenly threw open, and in came Spyro and Cynder.

"Volteer, we just came here to tell you that—"

"They're here?" The Guardian asked, not so surprised now.

Spyro cocked his head. "Yes…how did you—"

Zaze leaned to the right and waved at him with a cheeky grin. Apparently Volteer's body blocked him and Sparx from view.

"Oh," he finished flatly.

Volteer sighed, and massaged his temples. "Well the best we can do now is to welcome them. Let us go."

As they headed outside, Zaze walked up to Cynder and gently nudged her. Cynder glanced at him.

"What?"

Zaze smirked. "How did it go?"

It took a moment for Cynder to realize what he was asking about, but when it did, her cheeks turned a bit red. "Uh….not so much…"

"Huh?"

"You see…"

0 = 0 = 0

"No, Spyro, you listen. This is something important," Spyro blinked, a bit surprised. "This is important to me."

"I understand, Cynder." He nodded to prove his point. "It's just that I'd like to mention something as well."

Cynder's brow rose. "And that is?"

"Turn around."

Odd, but Cynder followed his request. "What are you—"

She cut herself off as she saw what Spyro was referring to. Out at the distance, near the horizon, was an evident speck. Given a few seconds later, the speck grew in size, and both she and Spyro realize exactly what it was.

It was none other than the colony Hunter was referring to.

It would seem they had arrived earlier than expected.

"They arrived early…" Spyro said, examining the group of dragons flying. "I think we should tell the Guardians about this."

He was about to turn around, when he remembered the main reason they were there in the first place.

"Unless of course, you still want to talk to me Cynder—about the thing you wanted to talk about."

Cynder sighed then shook her head. Turning around she walked up to him.

"It can wait."

0 = 0 = 0

"Oh…tough luck girl," Zaze said, as he walked close to Cynder. "I can't you believe you chickened out."

At this, Cynder felt a part of her die.

"Chicken out!" she exclaimed. "Are you calling me scared!"

Zaze backed down a bit, not really expecting to hit a nerve**.** **B**ut he didn't falter. The game just got better. "That's what you did."

"But I had no choice! We had to tell—"

"Oh but doing the deed could only take a short second," he replied smartly, smiling smugly. Cynder's eyes just narrowed.

"I am not a chicken. I am a dragoness of my word."

Zaze grinned. "Prove it then."

Cynder just glared, staring daggers at him. He got her good.

At the other side, Spyro looked concerned. That was the first time he saw Cynder looked…agitated. And surprisingly, Zaze was just grinning.

"What are they finding out?" he asked.

Sparx who was watching the argument, flew towards him. "Oh it's just—"

Sparx was about to spill the beans, and destroy the game entirely, when he remembered Zaze's words.

0 = 0 = 0

"Aside from the fact that keeping grudges is a bad thing"—Sparx snorted—"like I said earlier, you should be happy for your brother. Any brother would want their fellow brother happy, right? And love is a great thing to have!"

"Point taken; maybe you could say it's a talent of mine. I love playing matchmaker. It makes me happy seeing other dragons happy."

0 = 0 = 0

"It's nothing. Nothing you should be worried about." Sparx couldn't believe what he was doing, but what Zaze had said was right. He should be happy for his brother, albeit against his wishes, but it was what would make him happy. He tried to keep telling himself that there was nothing there, but in truth he was only fooling himself. Maybe this game Zaze had conjured up was the best way to get the two together.

"Are you sure…it looks drastic?"

Spyro noted how Cynder was glaring at Zaze, whom was just smiling without a care in the world.

"It's fine. Trust me," said Sparx. "Right now, it's best we worry about our new visitors."

0 0 0 0 0

"Now I completely understand why Hunter wasn't able to keep track of how many they were…"

Zaze couldn't believe his eyes. Everywhere he looked was dragons. Old, young, teen, even hatchlings were there. The four main elements were clearly present. And to their surprise, Terrador and Cyril were already there, entertaining and welcoming the newcomers. All of them were clearly ecstatic that they were finally coming home to the city that they used to live in.

"I have never seen so many dragons before…" said Sparx in wonder.

"Ditto…" said Cynder.

"And this is just the first colony…" added Zaze.

Spyro, Cynder and Sparx ended up staring at him, as they realized that reality too.

"Apparently, a lot of dragons had survived," said Volteer.

And at that moment, Terrador and Cyril had noticed them. Their presence being called, they walked up to them.

"Volteer! I do hope you still recognize Pyre," said Terrador, standing aside and showing the dragon.

Zaze recognized and saw that the dragon was a fire dragon. Much like Terrador, his red scales lacked the luster they normally have and his body had scars at some points.

"Pyre!" Volteer exclaimed with glee.

"It's been a long time my dear friend," he greeted. "As you can see, it takes more than a war to get me killed."

"Ah Pyre, still having the same dry humour as ever," added Cyril.

"You three know each other?" asked Zaze.

"Of course," answered Terrador.

"I, and the Guardians are childhood friends," finished Pyre. "And who might you be? I already know that these two are Spyro and Cynder" —he said glancing at them—"I wasn't informed that there was a third dragon." This time he glanced at Terrador.

Zaze shook his head dejectedly. "How come no one knows who I am…?"

Sparx chortled. "Maybe that's because you're not famous yet?"

"I suppose."

"His name is Zaze," said Spyro, introducing him.

"We've found him wandering around the forest, as we were headed back to Warfang. Didn't know who he is, or where he came from aside from his name," added Cynder.

"Oh dear, that is a severe case of memory loss," commented Pyre.

"Yeah…I know…" said Zaze, feeling down for a moment. But then as if it was nothing, he was back feeling perky again. "But I'm fine."

"Right you are," said Volteer. "I do suppose we should head inside. You must be tired from the journey?"

"Not really. But we will be glad to take the offer." And right at that moment, a fire dragon came up to Pyre.

"Headcount has been completed. We're all accounted for." Pyre nodded, and the dragon stood by his side.

"Good. Tell them it's alright for them to return to their homes now."

"Yes sir."

And with that, the fire dragon left, and began to relay the order to the group of dragons at the back. Zaze got the gist that Pyre seemed to have been the leader of this big colony.

"Shall we head inside then?" he asked.

"Lets." Terrador said, as he led the way.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**I was supposed to update yesterday, but I forgot. So yeah. Late update! **

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	6. Chapter 6 Messy

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 6

Messy

Zaze sighed as he walked down the now busy halls of the Temple. It was no longer quiet as it used to be, as moles were running down the halls, left and right carrying supplies and whatnot. Most were carrying food item and others were carrying kitchen equipment. They must have been preparing for the feast that was going to happen later tonight. Zaze shook his head.

"I hate parties…"

Currently, he was headed to the library, out of all the places in the area. Unlike Spyro and Cynder, he wasn't exactly a hero so he wasn't needed to be out there, showing himself. Likewise, Spyro and Cynder were the heroes of this age so they were kind of required to show themselves. It was for the main reason of quelling obvious rumours that they had died and to no doubt give the faces behind the saviours of the Dragon Realms.

And Zaze…Zaze was nobody in particular.

Zaze was so lost in his thoughts he hadn't realized he was already in the library. Sitting down at one of the chairs, he slumped on the desk lazily, trying to quell his boredom. This time, Sparx wasn't here with him to keep himself entertained. The dragonfly had chosen to stay with his brother, and that he understood clearly.

So here he was, bored to death, just staring at the walls.

"What kind of main character am I?" he asked himself, looking down at the table. "No cares about me! No one even knows who I am!" He threw his paws up, emphasizing his point. And just before the reader could realize that Zaze was breaking the fourth wall, something caught Zaze's attention.

He heard something.

"Huh?" he asked, paying attention this time. There it was again. It was the sound of someone…or something banging something against the bookshelves? He wasn't sure himself, but since he had nothing better to do, he decided to check it out. Walking about, he peered at the corner and saw something he didn't expect. It was Volteer. The Electric Guardian was slumped across the bookshelves, his head resting against the walls. And was he…crying?

"Huh…wh-who's there?" the Guardian demanded seeing someone peering at the corner. Volteer wiped his eyes and coughed slightly as he regained his composure. Zaze went out of hiding, a look of concern on his face.

"Volteer?" he asked, not really knowing what to do. "Are you okay? …Are you…"

"Yes…" he sighed. "I guess there's no point in hiding it…Yes young dragon…I am crying…"

Dang…and here Zaze thought that the Guardians were emotionless.

Zaze scratched his chin. Then he decided to comfort the poor guy with whatever problem he had. "Uh…want to talk about it? Talking is the best way to close wounds…non-physical anyway."

"Talking is the best way I suppose…come sit here young dragon, beside me."

Zaze nodded, feeling glad that now, he had something to do. Resting beside the Guardian he leaned back the bookshelf and looked at him.

"So what is it?"

"Well you see…I cannot believe I am going to be talking about something abstract like love to a dragon like you."

Zaze chuckled. "I think I can manage." This was Zaze's forte after all. He loved solving other dragons' problems.

"Remember Pyre?"

"The leader; that dragon you were childhood friends with? Yeah, why?"

"And you also remember that dragon that walked up to him?"

"That fire dragon that was doing the head count? Yeah…"

"That was his son…his name is Flame."

Zaze raised a brow. "That was his son? But he had no one by his side. Shouldn't his mate be—"

"By his side, yes…I thought she was just somewhere else, probably doing something."

Zaze kept quiet, listening intently. This was getting rather interesting.

"But I was wrong…I had learned later on when I asked him…that she…died…" Zaze had to strain his ear to hear the latter word. Volteer face was clearly showing the expression of sorrow.

"Volteer, is this dragoness somehow related you?" he asked. Volteer sighed, before continuing.

"Zaze, being a Guardian is a very big responsibility. The honour of being a candidate is enough of a bragging right. You have to devote time and effort to all your studies to become the best you can be in order to earn the title. And once you decide to walk the path of becoming a Guardian, you have to sacrifice a lot of things…family and your loved ones are one of them."

"Oh…I didn't know…"

Volteer was staring blankly at the floor, his mind clearly basking in the memories of the past. Zaze had never seen the Guardian be so…so…sad. He was always energetic, and was always optimistic. But he was clearly seeing another side of the Guardian he had never expected to see.

"She was beautiful…" he said trailing. "The most beautiful dragoness I had ever seen…we were set to become mates that day…however fate had other things planned. That was also the day the letter came to my parents. Telling them that I was a candidate to become the next Guardian; clearly they were ecstatic. Even I was. It was everything I ever dreamed…but…I also realized the consequences if I were to do so."

Zaze glanced and saw tears welling up in the Guardian's eyes.

"Pyre…Pyre was—you could say a rival of mine for her affections…unlike me, it was unfortunate for him to be not selected. And seeing that I was chosen…I had to let her go…" A small tear dropped down the side of Volteer's face.

"I made him keep a promise. To keep her safe…and as the days went by…and days became weeks…weeks became years…I felt contented to just see her from afar, playing with her hatchling…playing with Flame…he takes so much after her mother."

"Do you hate him?"

Zaze's voice cut through the Guardian's depressed state. "Huh?"

"Do you hate him? Pyre I mean; for failing to keep his promise."

Volteer stared at him for quite a while, clearly thinking deeply about his answer.

"…no. It would be wrong for me to think so. He did his best…"

There was a silence between the two of them, as Volteer wiped his cheeks.

"I don't think I could ever become intimate with anyone ever again…"

Zaze sat up and looked at him. "Why do you say so?"

"I am already alone in this world. I don't want to risk the chance of putting myself out there, only to lose them afterwards."

"But right now is the perfect chance. Peace is evident! Heck we're celebrating it!"

Volteer chuckled. "Ah…youth," he said looking at Zaze. "Something I don't have anymore."

Zaze snorted. "Just because you're old doesn't mean you can't get some."

Volteer raised a brow. "Who are you to say that to me? You have no memories, and you're not even old enough to know how I feel about age; so clearly you cannot be drawing from experience."

Zaze scoffed. "That's beside the point. The point is it's never too late for anyone."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Now come on Volteer; it's best to look ahead, and not backwards."

Volteer smiled at him. "For a dragon so young, you seem to know the right words."

Zaze chuckled. "I try my best."

Then to his surprise, Volteer pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you…talking does help close wounds."

"It does. And you're welcome. Glad I could help a fellow dragon."

Volteer smiled, and then took on the familiar face Zaze knew all too well. "I'll be heading out now." Volteer approached the door and was about to leave but stopped. "And Zaze?"

"Yes?"

"Can we keep this to ourselves? I only share personal things with dragons I consider close to me."

At that moment, Zaze felt special. "Sure."

Volteer smiled back at him before leaving.

Zaze smiled to himself, watching the Guardian leave through the door. He saw a side of the Guardian he never expected to see, or ever thought he had. It made him wonder what the other Guardians past lives were.

"Maybe coming to the library was a good idea…I wonder what the others are doing now? Ah what the heck…" Zaze ran to the door, and saw Volteer halfway down the hall. "Hey Volteer! Wait for me!"

0 0 0 0 0

"Zaze, I overheard you earlier today. Do you really not like parties?" asked the electric guardian.

Zaze scratched his chin. "Yeah Volteer. I don't really like parties. I don't know why, but I feel that I'm not inclined nor excited about it."

"That's too bad. There will be a party tonight."

"The feast? I'll go to eat, but after that, I'll probably head to my room."

"A young dragon such as you shouldn't seclude himself. You should socialize."

"Speak for yourself," said Zaze, glancing up at him. "I'm not good with strangers."

Volteer raised a brow. "Yet you were there earlier talking with me."

"That's a different case," he said. "I'm good with helping other dragons, even if they're strangers. But in terms of attending social gatherings, I'd rather not. It's the gathering that deters me."

"You're not good with crowds then?"

Zaze nodded. "To sum it up, yes. I am not."

"I see."

Zaze looked around and his curiosity got the better of him. "Where are we going anyway?"

They had now reached the large double doors that led outside to the open space outside.

"Warfang Square; you could either help me set the decorations there, or you could go and frolic around with Spyro and Cynder, until later tonight, where we gather there to feast and celebrate."

Zaze looked at him with a dumb stare. "I'd take the latter option."

Volteer chuckled. "Suit yourself then. You know where to find me."

And with that Volteer took off, spreading his wings, and gliding off to his destination.

0 0 0 0 0

Zaze sighed feeling himself bored again. He gave up. Tried hard as he might, he couldn't find Spyro and Cynder outside, or even Sparx. Maybe they were busy doing something; either way, he was tired. Since the feast was later this evening, and it was only a few hours from now, he decided to the best thing he can do.

Take a nap.

Rounding around the corner, he entered his room. But he stopped in his tracks, seeing as something was clearly wrong.

The place was a mess. The cushions where everywhere and the tapestries that hung at the corners of the room, either looked lopsided or were…

Zaze approached the piece of fabric, and examined it. It was burnt. He hummed to himself, thinking deeply and considering everything that has happened. No one in the right mind would mess up a room with no clear motivation.

And the last time he checked, these tapestries and his bed was clearly in perfect order when he left this morning. Some dragon clearly came in, and decided to mess up his room just for the heck of it. He chuckled, realizing who it was.

"I guess I deserve this," he said, gathering the cushions and putting them back in place. He would confront the culprit later, but right now, he wanted to take a nap.

* * *

******Author's Notes:**

**The Volteer Social Link has now been established!**

**Yes folks; I went there. I really wanted to make this fic different, and I made it different by fleshing out almost all the characters. What do you guys think? Didn't expect that from Volteer now did you?**

**Cookies to the reviewer who gets the 'Social Link' reference.**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	7. Chapter 7 A Request

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 7

A Request

"I can't believe you manage to drag me into this."

"The party's not that bad Zaze."

"The food's great yes, but I'll be heading out as soon as I am done."

Sparx sighed. "Suit yourself then."

Sparx then disappeared into the crowd of dragons who were busy enjoying themselves at the night's festivities. So here he was at Warfang Square. Zaze sighed as he watched the crowd dance to the music. Somehow, he found sleeping more worth it. But he needed to eat, and he needed to confront the dragon that had messed up his room. And said dragon, conveniently came into view.

"Hello Cynder," he said with a grin. That was when he noticed that she was wearing an ornate headdress. Zaze had to admit, it suited her. "You look stunning."

She snorted. "Thank you for the flattering words. You look like your usual self."

"I try to be." Zaze replied with a smirk. "But right now, I need to talk to you."

"And may I ask why?"

"You know why I am talking to you," Zaze said, turning serious.

Cynder however, just cocked her head. "About the bet? Yes, I'm still working on it."

"Yes that too. But also for another reason?"

"And that might be?"

"Don't pretend you don't know why."

"Pretend I don't know what? Zaze what are you talking about?" Cynder asked clearly puzzled.

Zaze raised a brow. Was his hunch correct? It had to be. "I came into my room earlier today, to find it in a mess. Worst of all, you even burned the tapestries! I can't believe you would do that."

Cynder looked at him, surprised at the sudden accusation. "What the hell are you talking about? I was here outside the whole time. You can ask Spyro and Sparx that."

Zaze sighed, realizing her point. He couldn't exactly prove that when his room was messed with. He hummed to himself thinking deeply.

"You have the reason to do so, the motive, but you have a point."

"You're thinking I did it out of revenge because of the bet?"

"Yes."

"That's not solid Zaze. And besides, like I said, I have an alibi which can be confirmed." Zaze sighed. Cynder approached him and patted him at the shoulder. "Sorry Zaze, I'm not the one who messed up your room."

"I understand…I wonder who did it though…"

"I never knew you were in a relationship Cynder."

"Huh?"

The unknown voice made Zaze stop thinking. He looked around to find the one who said the statement. It came from behind them, from a red fire dragon. He recognized said dragon. It was the dragon earlier that was with Pyre. It was his son, Flame. The red scaled dragon was smiling at them, as he approached.

"It's nice to meet the one who has captured the black dragoness' heart."

Zaze could only stutter one clear word. "Eh?"

Cynder however looked embarrassed. "No it's not like that!" she said. "Zaze, this is Flame. Flame this is Zaze."

"Nice to meet you Flame," said Zaze.

The fire dragon nodded. "Likewise; are you not together? I thought you were."

Zaze snorted. "What could you have possibly seen that made you think that?"

"You two acted rather close to each other so I thought—"

"So you thought we were a couple?" Zaze laughed. "That's just stupid."

Flame looked rather embarrassed. "Sorry."

Zaze shrugged then grinned. With a quick move, he wrapped his wing around Cynder, pulled her close to him, and smiled mischievously.

"But we do look good together huh?" he said with a wink.

Flame just stared at the playful dragon before him, not sure how to react. Cynder however looked half disgusted and half annoyed. She pushed him and snorted.

"Speak for yourself."

"Fine girl, but"—Zaze motioned to his body—"all this? You're missing out."

Cynder just scoffed and shook her head. Flame cocked his head, watching the two argue.

"And I thought Sparx was obnoxious sometimes," she said in displeasure.

Zaze waved her off. "Oh you killjoy; I was just fooling around."

Cynder giggled; she had to admit, being random was normal behaviour for Zaze.

Zaze turned towards Flame and wrapped a forepaw around his neck. "Right Flame? You know I was just fooling around right?"

Flame flashed him a smile. The friendliness of the dragon was contagious. "Uh…yeah."

Zaze gave him a thumb up, and patted him at the back. "Right you are."

"I hope you three are getting along quite well?"

The three of them turned around to see Pyre, smiling at the three of them.

Flame glanced at Zaze and Cynder then back to his father. "We are."

"That's good to hear." Pyre noticed Cynder's headdress. "Cynder, you look stunning."

The black dragoness blushed at the compliment. "Thank you. By any chance have you seen Spyro?"

Pyre scratched his chin. "I think I saw him talking with Ember, there at the refreshments."

Cynder's expression changed to somewhat pissed. "She is?" Pyre nodded.

"Thank you." And with a nod, she disappeared through the crowd headed to find Spyro.

Pyre looked down at the two males. "You two enjoy yourselves."

"We will," answered Zaze. Pyre nodded before heading off himself. After a few seconds, he turned to face Flame. "What's up with Cynder?'

Flame sighed. "It's Ember…" he shook his head.

"Who's Ember?" asked Zaze.

"Uh…a friend of mine, you could say. She's a pink dragoness that sports a heart shaped necklace."

Zaze chuckled. "Jewellery eh?"

"Yup. And the main reason Cynder's like that because I think she's jealous of her. And I think I'm right."

Zaze turned to the direction Cynder went. "Jealous eh? This is going to be fun. What; is Ember like hitting on Spyro or something?"

Flame nodded. "No. More like, she's hogging Spyro to herself. Ever since they met earlier, she wouldn't leave Spyro's side. And all she did was asked him question after question."

"I see. So Flame, how you find Warfang? Is it great? Good? What?" he asked the red dragon.

"It's been a blast. The flying space is amazing. Back in our old place, I couldn't fly as much as I want, since we weren't allowed to fly up high, or go beyond the border; for safety reasons. But here, it's just been smooth sailing."

"Glad you find it that way."

"And I'm guessing living at the Temple is going to be good too. Finally having a decent place to sleep in for the night is a good break from it all."

"Right you are. The sleeping accommodations are great!"

"Plus being able to finally start training again, under the guidance of the Guardians is going to be great!"

"Oh right, that too."

Zaze wasn't looking forward to training. He just preferred to be lazy. Then again, he was going to train under Volteer. That would prove to be interesting.

"It's sad though…dad has to leave."

"Huh? Why?" Pyre was leaving?

"They have to go back. Fix a few things back at the old place. I guess it can't be helped. Plus they also volunteered, and a couple of others to help in finding other dragons out there."

"Why don't you go with him them if you rather stick with him?"

Flame stared at Zaze. "My dad told me I'd rather stay here. He doesn't want me getting hurt or anything."

"Overprotective?"

"More or less; plus he told me I should stay here and make new friends. Because it was time for me to find that special dragon, as he said."

Zaze laughed. Flame however just stared, wondering why he reacted so.

After recovering from his laughing fit, Zaze faced him. "So your father wants you to hook up with someone then?"  
Flame shook his head as if embarrassed. "Yeah…I'm his only son, so I guess he can't help to secure the family line I suppose."

Zaze shrugged. "I guess it's natural."

"How about you?"  
"Huh?"

"What's your story?"

Zaze sighed. He was getting tired getting asked this. Because each and every time he was asked, he could only reply with the same answer.

"That's the problem. I don't have a story."

Flame cocked his head to the side. "Huh?"

"I guess Cynder hasn't mentioned it to you yet, but I suffer from amnesia. I don't have any memories of my past life whatsoever. My memories only start when I happened to bump into Spyro and Cynder back at the forest, as they were headed to Warfang."

Flame looked at him, as if seeing him in a new light. "That's—"

"Sad? Not really." Zaze cut him off. He turned his head and stared at the dragons having the time of their life and dancing the night away.

"It's not like I remember anything worth being sad about."

"I suppose so."

"Yeah; I think of it as a new chance. I was given a new clean slate. No one knows who I am, and I don't know who I am. So I guess it's the perfect chance to start fresh." Zaze glanced back at him. "And besides, I have my"—Zaze walked over to Flame and put a paw around his shoulder—"friends and the Guardians to keep me company, so I don't feel lonely and lost in this odd world."

Flame playfully pushed him to the side. "Since when were we friends?"

Zaze looked insulted. "And here I thought we were going to be good buddies?"

Flame chuckled. "I was being sarcastic."

"I knew you were," said Zaze smiling smugly. Flame just snorted. "Now come on, let's get something to drink. I'm feeling thirsty."

0 0 0 0 0

"So that dragonfly earlier? He really was your brother?"

"More or less; like I've said, we may not be related by blood, but to me, he's more than enough to be called a brother."

"Wow…" said the dragoness in wonder.

Spyro chuckled, seeing as how easily the dragoness was impressed. He, Spyro—if it wasn't that obvious enough—was with the pink dragoness named Ember. The two of them were at the side of Warfang Square, at a balcony of sorts. Spyro, to his surprise, was actually enjoying the company of the curious dragon. Never had he encountered a dragon so interested about him.

Ember shuffled her paws idly, as she noticed Spyro staring at her. "I'm sorry…" she blushed.

"For what?"

"You know, for asking you all these questions…"

"No, it's no problem. Frankly, you're the first dragon who's legitimately interested in knowing everything about me."

Ember giggled. "It's just that, I've heard stories about purple dragons ever since I was a hatchling. I've always wanted to meet one…and here I am now…" she said, smiling at him.

Spyro smiled at her. "I'm glad that I made that dream possible for you."  
Ember sighed. "It's just that I'm scared though…"

"Why?"

"It's your um…friend, Cynder."

"What about her?"

Ember scratched her head. "I don't think she likes me."

"What makes you say that?"

"I think she's angry at me because I've been hogging you all day."

Spyro shook his head, laughing lightly. "Don't worry. I'll talk to her."

"Thank you," replied Ember. "Speaking of which, can I ask you another question?"

"You've been asking me all day, and you already have."

Ember smiled sheepishly, but nonetheless continued. "What's the relationship between you and Cynder?"

Spyro hummed to himself, thinking deeply on how to answer the question. After a moment's pause, he turned to face Ember.

"We're friend; best friends even. We're always there for each other."

Ember looked at him. "Oh…" then her tone changed. "Really?"

"You sound disappointed. Why?'

"I thought you were closer than that."

Spyro raised a brow. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Nothing," said Ember with a cheery smile. Spyro raised a brow but dismissed it.

"Speaking of relationships, are you romantically involved with someone?"

Spyro stared at her, a bit surprised at her frankness. "Isn't that a private question?"

Ember pouted. "Come on! Tell me! Are you?"

"Well…" Spyro sighed. "No." Spyro chuckled to himself. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation. "It's not like I had the time to be with someone since I was rather busy. But now that I have…" He turned his head and looked at the stars.

Ember perked up. "Who do you have in mind?"

Spyro grinned to himself. She was a really curious dragoness. "It's a secret," he said in a whisper.

The look on Ember's face was enough to make him giggle. "Sorry."

"I understand," she replied. "But can I ask a favour from you? Since it's clear that your minds made up and I'm pretty sure it's not me you want to be with…" she trailed. She shuffled her paws, bowing her head, avoiding Spyro's curious gaze. If it weren't for her pink scales, the hard blush on her cheeks would have been blatantly obvious, even under the dim light.

"What is it Ember?"

"Um…I would really appreciate for you to…to…make my other dream possible…"

"And that dream is?"

Ember braved herself. This was a very bold request. But she had always dreamt of this moment in her life, and now that it was in her reach, she wasn't going to back down and have her resolve fall apart.

"Please kiss me."

0 0 0 0 0

It was hours later, when the two newly made buddies, Zaze and Flame headed up the steps of Warfang. The party and festivities were still going in full swing, but the two dragons found them feeling tired.

"Food was great…haven't eaten like that for a long time…" said Flame, patting his stomach.

"I can tell." Zaze grinned. "You look fatter already."

"Look who's talking. You're a lot heavier than I am!" Flame teased back.

"Oh really? Who was the one that managed to eat a whole chicken leg without even stopping to chew?"

Flame burped, making Zaze's point stronger. "Okay fine. You win this round."

The two were reaching the final steps, and before long they had reached the two double doors that marked the entrance to the Dragon Temple.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Congrats to: dragonzap93**

**He was the only one that seem to have gotten the reference that was at Chapter 6. Cookies for you mate!**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	8. Chapter 8 Shocker

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 8

Shocker

The night's festivities soon died down as the city of Warfang finally decided to sleep for the night. The moon shined brightly up at the night sky, as it slowly did its arc, as time passed on. Before long, sunrise was coming, as its rays of light began to streak across the inky black sky. The sleeping city was soon becoming illuminated by its golden light, waking up the dragons from their night slumber.

Inside the Temple, Zaze was waking up as usual. He woke up, feeling like his usual self, as he stretched and slowly got his grip back on reality. Looking around his room, he couldn't help but stare at the tapestries that were burnt. The cause of this was still unknown, and his only lead, which was Cynder was a dead end. Stretching once again, Zaze looked down to find something peculiar.

"Hmm?"

He looked down at the side of his pile of cushions and found…dirt. He touched it, brought it up close to his maw and took a short sniff to confirm. It really was dirt. In all of it's earthy like scent. What the hell was dirt doing in his room? Could this be a clue to finding out who messed his room and why? Maybe it was, or it wasn't. Nonetheless, he took note of the traces of dirt found in his room, before heading out.

As he passed down the halls, he happened to stare outside the window. Much like how Flame had said to him last night, his father Pyre, was outside leading a small group of dragons. Saying the last words of encouragement, Terrador who was beside Pyre, did actions that told Zaze that he was saying farewell. With a nod, Pyre looked onto his group, and a few moments later, the search party was off. Zaze wondered to himself if they'd find other dragons. The chances were high now, so maybe they would. In any case, they'd hear from them as time passed on. His stomach rumbled, reminding Zaze of his prior destination. With a kick in his step, he headed to the Dining Hall, wondering what the day would bring him.

0 0 0 0 0

"He did WHAT!"

"Keep your voice down!"

"Sorry," he said, containing his shock. "He kissed her?"

"He did…what does this mean Sparx…?"

The golden dragonfly hummed to himself. If his younger self could see him now that side of him would probably start yelling at him for helping Cynder get together with Spyro. But he had changed. Zaze's words managed to get through to him and make him see Cynder in a new light. The dragoness really did care about his brother, and made a suitable mate for him, both in combat and other things; but in light of recent news that Cynder had broken to him, made the mate aspect seem improbable. Cynder had just told him, that she saw, Ember kissing Spyro last night.

Sparx had been with Spyro throughout most of his life. And never, had he ever heard of the word kissing, and his brother's name, in the same sentence with another name. That just wasn't Spyro. The look on Cynder's face told him that she was practically worried. And Sparx realized just how worried she was.

"What exactly happened anyway?" he asked.

"Well…"

0 = 0 = 0

"I hope you three are getting along quite well?"

The three of them turned around to see Pyre, smiling at the three of them.

Flame glanced at Zaze and Cynder then back to his father. "We are."

"That's good to hear." Pyre noticed Cynder's headdress. "Cynder, you look stunning."

The black dragoness blushed at the compliment. "Thank you. By any chance have you seen Spyro?"

Pyre scratched his chin. "I think I saw him talking with Ember, there at the refreshments."

Cynder's expression changed to somewhat pissed. "She is?" Pyre nodded.

"Thank you." And with a nod, she disappeared through the crowd headed to find Spyro.

She was beginning to get annoyed but that dragoness. All day she had been following Spyro and did nothing but question him, one after the other. It wasn't like it was a bad thing, but the fact that she kept following him, wherever they went, was. Due to this, she didn't have a chance to…confess to Spyro; to win the bet between him and Zaze. She wanted to kiss him in private, as well as pour her heart out to him. A few minutes of looking around, she spotted Spyro, standing at the corner…with…

Cynder couldn't help but glare. Standing beside the purple dragon, was the pink dragoness, Ember. Oh why, must she make this hard, she thought to herself. Thinking of the best way, she decided to wait for her to leave. She had to leave at one point. So she stood there at the corner, incidentally eavesdropping on them.

"What's the relationship between you and Cynder?" She heard Ember asked.

Spyro hummed to himself, thinking deeply on how to answer the question. After a moment's pause, he turned to face Ember.

"We're friend; best friends even. We're always there for each other."

Cynder smiled at Spyro's answer. They were best friends. And she can vouch for what Spyro said. They always had each other's back. If one was down, the other would normally make the other feel better. Cynder was lost in her thoughts that she didn't get to hear the next part of the conversation. What she did hear however, was the following:

"Speaking of relationships, are you romantically involved with someone?"

Spyro stared at her, a bit surprised at her frankness. "Isn't that a private question?"

Ember pouted. "Come on! Tell me! Are you?"

"Wow…" Cynder whispered to herself. Ember is one bold dragoness; she had to give her credit for that.

"Well…" Spyro sighed. "No." Spyro chuckled to himself. "It's not like I had the time to be with someone since I was rather busy. But now that I have…" Spyro trailed.

Ember perked up. "Who do you have in mind?"

'Spyro trailed…' Cynder thought. 'He already has someone in mind…'

"It's a secret," he said in a whisper. So much so, that Cynder had to really strain her ears to hear him. Spyro laughed lightly. "Sorry."

'Who could it be…?' Cynder asked herself. It never crossed her mind if Spyro already liked someone else. And the thought scared her. Now that there are a lot of dragonesses in the area, one must have caught his eye. Cynder felt a pang at her heart. It was now or never. She had to confess now, or Spyro will become the one that got away.

Thinking it was now the best time to show herself, she put on the best face she could muster, and turned around the corner. However, she was greeted by a sight she never wanted to see.

0 = 0 = 0

"And just like that? You saw him kissing her?"

"I did…" Cynder said in a worried tone. She shuffled her paws, trying to calm herself down.

Sparx rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of it. "Did you try asking him?"

Cynder blinked, and looked away. "No."

"Then you should! Here we are, jumping to conclusions. We should hear his side of the story on this; to know what kiss meant."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Misunderstanding is a very dangerous thing. Maybe it was just a simple kiss; nothing more, nothing less. Or…"

"It could be that he is…"

"Involved with her," Sparx finished. He sighed. "He grew up so fast."

He then turned his head and saw that Cynder seemed rather uncomfortable about this. He knew why she was like this. But Cynder didn't know that he knew, and Sparx knew that would get a kick out of this one.

"Why are you so worried anyway? Shouldn't you be happy for him?" he asked her, quoting Zaze.

"Huh?" Cynder asked, caught off guard by the question.

"I mean, here you are, looking like a nervous wreck over a simple kiss given by a dragoness to my brother. It's not like you—"

He cut himself off, as he noticed Cynder's change in expression. Sparx smiled to himself inwardly. He was enjoying this. He then pulled a face, showing that he was shocked at the revelation before him. Of course it was fake.

"Oh—"

"Don't say it!"

"—my—"

"Sparx! It's not what you think!"

"Gosh! You love S—"

His voice was muffled as Cynder grabbed him and covered his mouth with her paw. Her face was beet red, and she looked around nervously. After confirming that no one was within earshot, he let him go.

"Tell the whole Temple, why don't you!" she sneered.

"You don't deny it?" Sparx asked. Cynder sighed.

"I can't believe I'm confessing this to you, of all dragons. Yes Sparx, I love your brother. There, happy?" she asked, her cheeks still red with embarrassment.

Sparx smirked at her. "I already know that."

Cynder blinked. "What?"

"What you think I'm blind? Everyone already knows that."

"E-everyone?"

"The Guardians, even Zaze; the only dragons blind to not notice are you and Spyro. Why do you think Zaze made the bet in the first place? He was helping you get together!"

Cynder was still recovering from the sudden revelation brought to her.

"I was totally against it, but Zaze managed to change my mind on you. If he didn't, I wouldn't be here helping you in the first place, now would I?"

Cynder just stared at Sparx, her mind finally registering all the words that he had said. She had a hard time believing that Sparx, the dragonfly that hated her with a passion, was here helping her get together with his brother. That was even more jarring than the fact that everyone knew that there was something between her and Spyro. It was all moving so fast now.

"Will you stop staring? It's giving me the creeps."

Cynder shook her head. "Sorry. So Sparx, you're really okay with this?"

Sparx sighed. "I wasn't at first. But Zaze, like I said, made me see sense. I have no right to meddle with who my brother chooses, it's his decision. But I can help you try to win him over," he said with a smile. "And like I mentioned earlier, its best you ask him upright what was the kiss about."

"I will," said Cynder nodding. "Misunderstanding can breed a lot of problems."

"What misunderstanding?"

The two turned their heads to find Zaze standing at the corner, his head cocked to the side. He was looking at the two of them with a curious expression.

"What were you two talking about?" he asked raising a brow.

"Oh nothing," said Cynder, glancing at Sparx. Sparx got the hint, and waved both his hands at him.

"We were just talking about…stuff," said Cynder, smiling at him sheepishly.

Zaze looked at her, and then glanced at Sparx, raising a brow sceptically. Something about Cynder's smile, made him think there was more to this. He'll find out sooner or later anyways.

"Ate breakfast yet?" he asked.

They both answered: "Nope."

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

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	9. Chapter 9 Relationships

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 9

Relationships

"Hey Flame!"

Zaze perked up as he saw the fire dragon sitting and eating alone at the Dining Hall. Flame turned around and greeted him good morning, as well as Cynder and Sparx. The three dragons then proceeded to eat breakfast, whilst Sparx just happily munched on a grape.

"Saw your father earlier by the way," said Zaze, striking a conversation.

"Yeah; they left…" said Flame, not looking too happy about it.

Cynder cocked her head to the side. "What's wrong?"

Flame glanced at Zaze. He had already explained this to him, and he wasn't really too keen of explaining it to Cynder. "It's nothing."

"Okay…" replied Cynder.

"So Flame, are you excited to finally start learning again?" asked Zaze.

"And you are?"

"No, I'm not." Zaze shook his head. "I'm lazy, and proud of it. But I'm actually wondering something."

Cynder turned to face him. "And that is?"

"Who's going to teach and help you master your element if there's no fire guardian?"

There was a silence between the four of them as the question hung in the air. They didn't really think of that. Did the Guardians notice this glaring error as well? It was Sparx who was the first to break the ice.

"You know what; I think Spyro would be the one to teach you Flame."

"Spyro?" asked Zaze. "Are you sure about, Sparx?"

"Yeah, I am."

Cynder scratched her chin. "Spyro may have been trained under Ignitus, but that doesn't mean, he already has mastered his Fire Element. Speaking of which, where is he anyway?"

"I think he's with Terrador. He's already training with him."

"Wow, he's that studious?" Flame asked.

Sparx shook his head. "No; but it's not like he has a choice. He has to complete his training even though the world is now filled with peace, like you guys."

"I'm not looking forward to this. But I guess hanging out with Volteer isn't half that bad," said Zaze with a smirk.

Flame tapped his claws at the table. "But I wonder who I'll be under…**me** and Ember…"

The mention of Ember's name, made Cynder remember what she had been talking about with Sparx earlier. He glanced at Sparx, and Sparx immediately knew what this meant. He motioned for her to go.

"Uh…I have to go guys, I need to talk to Spyro," said Cynder excusing herself.

Flame waved at her. "See you later then."

0 0 0 0 0

"You know, honestly, I have better things to do than this."

"And those are?"

He bit his lip. He just stared at him, waiting for a reply. He snorted, finding no answer.

"How is that you always manage to win when we have arguments?"

Zaze shrugged. "I'm just that good I suppose."

Flame chuckled as he rolled his eyes. "But I do have to agree. I am curious as to who I'll be learning under. I'll pass on the message as well to Ember."

"Ember…I still haven't met her; what is she like Flame?"

Flame stared off at the distance as he tried up come up with a sentence. Failing badly, he just sighed, and tried to come up with it on the fly.

"Ember's…oh…um…ah…eh…"

Zaze tried his best to contain himself.

He chortled. "Keep going Flame, you only need to say the letter 'I' and you'd have said all the vowels."

Flame just glared at him playfully. "Very funny."

"Seriously though, that's not exactly a good description of someone."

"I know…Ember's just…Ember you know…" His eyes then had a certain glint to them as he continued. "She's just perfect in every way."

The statement made the two dragons stopped in their tracks.

Zaze turned his head mechanically, his brows furrowed as he stared at Flame. Flame on the other hand looked like he had been caught doing something very naughty. Zaze opened his maw, going to say something but Flame cut him off. If he didn't have red scales, it would have been painfully obvious that he was blushing. Flame felt lucky that Zaze wouldn't notice his cheeks.

"Don't say anything."

Zaze raised his paws innocently. "Okay; I'll say nothing then."

There was a tense silence between the two of them as they continued to walk again, heading to the Guardians' Room. However, Zaze just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"So you like her don't you?" he asked, raising his brows playfully.

Flame did a face palm as he shook his head. "By the ancestors…I had to say it…"

"What?" Zaze shrugged. "I was just curious. No need for you to be dramatic."

"Yes Zaze…I like her. Happy?"

"Happy? I'm glad."

"And you'd be glad why?"

"Because now, you're going to be able to easily find that special someone then."

Flame shook his head. "Zaze, it's not easy. If it were, I'd be with her by now."

Zaze's grin turned to a frown as Flame made his point. "Oh…why? What's stopping you?"

"It's her, herself."

"Care to explain?"

"Well…"

0 0 0 0 0

Cynder walked by herself alone at the corridor of the Temple. Sparx wasn't with her since he said he needed to get some things done and errands assigned to him by Volteer. The dragoness kept on walking as she mentally composed herself, as she prepared to 'confront' Spyro. This was it. She even prepared herself for the worst case scenario; and that would be rejection. Was Spyro in a relationship with Ember? What did the kiss **mean** exactly? She was going to find out in a few minutes.

Following the path, she soon ended up near the Training Dojo, where she could clearly hear the sounds of boulders crashing with one another. There was no doubt that Terrador was in there with Spyro. Carefully peeking in, this was confirmed.

Spyro was standing by himself in the middle of the dojo, panting. Terrador was beside himself, watching the purple dragon with serious eyes. In a flash, training dummies appeared where Spyro proceeded to pummel them with an earth shot. But the technique he used was the first time Cynder had seen it. The flying rock collided with the dummy—destroying it to smithereens—and ricocheted back at him. Cynder was about to shout 'watch out' but didn't get to.

With a whip of his tail, Spyro managed to swat the rock out of the air and direct it to the other dummy that was to his right. He proceeded to do this technique over and over again, until the last dummy was reduced to nothing. With no more targets left, Spyro front flipped right on timing, and smacked the rock down **to** the floor with a loud crash, again with his tail.

Cynder was left with her maw wide open. That was the first time she had ever seen a dragon do that. Let alone Spyro; she was surprised at how agile he really was. Terrador on the other hand showed the same enthusiasm as her, but with a controlled expression. The Guardian couldn't look any happier than he was. He had a gleeful smile on his face, as Spyro glanced at him wiping the sweat **off** his brow.

"How'd I do?" he asked, catching his breath.

"You did, amazing," replied the Guardian. Spyro breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good to hear. I thought I was actually doing badly."

"You didn't." Then Terrador's expression changed to a smirk. "And I think Cynder can attest to me telling the truth."

Cynder blinked, surprised at the senses of the veteran dragon. She always wondered how Terrador always seemed to be able to sense dragons.

"Huh?" Spyro asked. Terrador smiled and nodded to the side, directing his attention to the doorway.

Cynder, taking this as her cue, stepped out into the open and smiled sheepishly. "Uh…**hi**."

"Cynder!" Spyro beamed.

"I hope I'm not intruding or anything," she said, looking at Terrador.

But the Guardian shook his head. "Not at all; our session has just finished." Then Terrador's expression flashed a brief mischievous smile. "I'll leave you two alone."

For a brief moment, Cynder wondered what that meant. The Guardian chuckled to himself as he rounded around the corner, aptly leaving the two of them alone. Then, it dawned on her. Sparx's words came back to mind.

0 = 0 = 0

"I can't believe I'm confessing this to you, of all **people**. Yes Sparx, I love your brother. There, happy?" she asked, her cheeks still red with embarrassment.

Sparx smirked at her. "I already know that."

Cynder blinked. "What?"

"What you think I'm blind? Everyone already knows that."

"E-everyone?"

"The Guardians, even Zaze; the only dragons blind to not notice are you and Spyro. Why do you think Zaze made the bet in the first place? He was helping you get together!"

0 = 0 = 0

She felt her cheeks turn hot as she realized what Terrador had been subtly implying. But she didn't let that destroy her resolve. She knew her objective, and she was going to see it through. Mentally putting her best paw forward, she turned her head and looked at Spyro, who was just contented to stare at her.

"What?" Cynder asked, noticing he was rather silent throughout that earlier conversation.

He sighed and shook his head. "Nothing."

He looked down **at** the ground, as if trying to come up with something to break the ice.

"Spyro, there's—"

"Cynder, there's—"

They both chuckled, seeing as they both wanted to talk first.

"You go first," Cynder said.

Spyro shook his head. "I'm a gentle dragon; ladies first."

Cynder sighed. There was something about Spyro and his charms that she couldn't resist.

"Okay. Spyro, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Ask away then. You know I got nothing to hide from you."

She felt her **heart** beat frantically in her chest, almost as if trying to break out.

'_Okay…moment of truth. You can do this Cynder. Deep breaths; calm yourself.'_

"Spyro," she began. She proceeded to look him straight in the eye as she relayed the next words.

"Are you in a relationship with Ember?"

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	10. Chapter 10 The Replacement

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

* * *

Chapter 10

The Replacement

"Basically, you're thinking that the apple of her eye is Spyro?"

Flame dropped his head, his tail sagging and was lazily dragged across the floor. "Yes." He sighed. "And you know I can't compete with that kind of competition; especially now that Spyro's in sight."  
Zaze scratched his chin. This was a tough pickle. Thinking positively, he patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Don't give up."

Flame looked at him. "Huh?"

"I mean, if you love her that much, you should tell her how you feel, so that at least she'll know how you feel about her."

"And what good would that do? I'd just be downright rejected anyway…"

Zaze shook his head. "You're too pessimistic. So what if she rejects you? At least you told her how you felt. There are always other dragonesses out there waiting for someone like you. Ember should feel lucky. Someone's already here waiting for her."

Flame smiled, hearing Zaze's words. Somehow, the dragon just knew the right words, and said them at the right times.

"I guess you're right Zaze. You always say the right advice."

Zaze smiled smugly. "I always try."

"Now come on, I want to know who'll be teaching me. I think the Guardians' Room is right there."

Rounding around the corner, the two of them ended in front of the large door that marked the Guardians' Room. Appropriately marked, the door had the four elements inscribed on it. With a gentle tap, it slid open, and the two walked in.

"Terrador? Volteer?" Zaze called out.

"Yes?" A voice replied.

It wasn't the baritone voice of the Earth Guardian, nor the energetic one matching Volteer's. It was the cold silky smooth voice of the Ice Guardian, Cyril. He poked his head around the corner, a book held in his right paw. Zaze waved at him, and Cyril moved about. A few minutes later, he was standing before them, the book he was reading tucked under his left paw.

"Hello Zaze, Flame. What is it?"

"We were wondering if you can answer a question for us." Flame asked.

Cyril raised his brows curiously. "What is this question?"

"You see. Since Ignitus passed away"— Zaze scratched his chin—"who's going to teach the…fire stuff now?"

Cyril smiled, hearing the question. "Ah, good question indeed. It's about time you dragons have noticed that." He placed the book he was reading idly on the surface beside him and turned around. "Yes. Ignitus' passing was misfortunate, but we must move on. We need a new Guardian to fill in his post, to help teach the up and coming dragons of the Dragon Realms, but for a dragon to become a Guardian, it takes time. So instead, we decided for a compromise of sorts."

"A compromise?" Flame wondered.

"Yes Flame, a compromised. Originally though, we intended to give the title of Fire Guardian to your father. It was appropriate enough. He was a fire dragon, and he had enough experience to keep a colony alive for so long."

Flame eyes widened at this statement, expressing his surprise.

"But he had refused. He said it wasn't fair to the other dragons out there. We respected his answer and went to a different route. He proceeded to give us a suggestion to help aide us in filling the post. The compromise was this: we were to give out a sort of a…contest or competition; however you want to name it. The contest was simple enough though. The participants would be fire dragons, and they'd be pitted against each other. Not in a violent way of sorts. It's just to find out who is the best among the rest; which is to say, the most experienced. That way, it'll be fair for all, and all will have a chance in filling the post temporarily. Until we can do the needed preparations to properly seek a Guardian."

"Awesome!" said Zaze. "When does it start?"

"Where do you think Terrador and Volteer are?" Cyril asked.

Zaze blinked, not really getting Cyril's question.

"It's going on right now," said Cyril in a matter of fact tone.

"What! And you didn't tell us!" Zaze exclaimed in annoyance.  
"I'm sorry. I thought you wouldn't be interested."

Zaze just shook his head. "Where's it located?"

"Warfang Square."

"Come on Flame! We don't want to miss this!"

Before Flame could even say a word, he was nearly comically dragged out of the room by Zaze, headed straight for Warfang Square.

0 0 0 0 0

"Are you in a relationship with Ember?"

The question rang inside Spyro's mind like a bell. Never had he expected to be asked that question by Cynder, of all dragons. And the way she had said it, made Spyro realize that wherever Cynder was going with this, she was rather taking it seriously. Of course, Spyro had nothing to worry about.

"No," he answered firmly, looking her equally back in the eyes.

But the way Cynder had reacted to his answer, made him think that this was something that bothered her. She looked confused, as if not believing his answer. His eyes held an uncertainty behind them, as if hiding something. Her eyes looked down to the floor, and it would seem like she was thinking deeply.

After a moments thinking, she looked back up, determination in her eyes. She wanted to know the truth. She wanted to clear every doubt in her mind. "So what did the kiss mean?" she asked. Spyro looked at her; a puzzled expression in his face.

"What was that?" Spyro didn't hear her.

"What did the kiss mean then?" she asked him.

"What kiss?"

"Don't act like you don't know!" she blurted out. "I saw you!"

Spyro blinked, not really understanding what was going on. "What are you talking about?"

Answering his confused look, she continued. "I saw you kissing Ember last night. What does that mean then?" she asked him. She no longer cared if it looked liked she was prying into his personal life. It was now or never.

"Oh!" he said, feeling stupid for not catching up fast enough. "It's not what you think."

"Then what was it then?" she asked, looking at him.

Spyro sighed. He then calmly approached her, and talked. "It was nothing Cynder. It was nothing serious. We're not in a relationship. She asked me to kiss her, because it was her dream to kiss the Purple Dragon that saved the Dragon Realms. And I fulfilled it for her. We're just friends. You could say that she asked me to do her a favor."

Cynder blinked, and stopped sniffling. "So…you're not in a relationship?"

"We aren't."

"And the kiss?"

"Was nothing."

"And do you love me?" Cynder suddenly blurted out, covering her maw when she realized what she had asked.

Spyro was taken aback at Cynder's last question. Cynder was taken aback at her sudden question. Both of them didn't expect the words that were just released and had clung into the air. Cynder felt her heart skip a beat. She was caught up at the moment, and the words just naturally flowed as her tongue slipped. The proceeding moments of silence felt like an eternity for her as she waited for Spyro's reply.

And when he did, the reply that Spyro gave was something she didn't expect.

0 0 0 0 0

The two dragons headed around the corner, with Flame scowling at Zaze.

"You didn't have to drag me all the way here," he said, brushing some dirt off his underbelly. They had now reached Warfang Square, in an almost record speed, due to Zaze running as fast as he could. And Zaze didn't even break a sweat.

"Oh you big baby." Zaze teased him. "If I hadn't we would have missed the majority of the competition! Aren't you excited for this?"

"I am; but I don't think I have the same level of enthusiasm as you do."

"Point taken; come on! Let's go!"

Zaze skipped to the side, and entered Warfang Square. Unlike the night before, it was no longer decorated with flowers and tables that had foods and beverages on top of them. They were removed, and were replaced with makeshift stands, that were already filled with dragons of all colors. Zaze could even make out moles amongst the groups.

At the center of the four sided stands was a large ring. Inside the ring, were two fire dragons battling it out. One was large and bulky, whilst the other was slim but agile. It was like a wrestling match, except both competitors can and are encouraged to use fire. Zaze scouted around and saw the large figures of Terraor and Volteer sitting at what looked like the judges table. Sparx was even there, his color contrast against Terrador making him easily visible. The two headed right on over, just as the match ended.

The crowd was going wild as they cheered the victor. The smaller dragon had one, sending his opponent out of bounds by apparently diving out of the way, as he did a comet dash.

"That was amazing!" Sparx exclaimed.

"It truly was. A creative and worthy tactic against larger opponents," commented Volteer.

"So you guys were here all this time?" Zaze asked as they reached the table.

"We were." Terrador answered as he scribbled something on the scroll before him.

"You should have seen the fights Zaze! They were marvellous!" The dragonfly was flying around, filled with energy. "You missed out though. The Ascension Competition just ended!"

"Ah dang it," Zaze said, tapping his paw on the floor.

"What! Who won then?" Flame asked, peering at Terrador's scroll.

"Well, the match right now was a battle between, Pyrus and Flare. Pyrus is the bigger fellow. And Flare is the smaller one."

"I guess size doesn't matter," said Zaze.

"You know it. Flare's been the underdog of the entire competition. I personally think he wouldn't win."

"We all thought wrong," said Volteer.

"Well, let us congratulate the new temporary Guardian," said Terrador, looking at Volteer.

"If you excuse us," the Guardian said. Sparx followed after them, eager to talk to the victor

A few minutes later, the two Guardians and the dragonfly approached Flare, who was standing victoriously at the middle of the ring. The red-orange scaled dragon—Pyrus as Zaze recognized him—congratulated Flare and walked off in good sport.

"You think this Flare guy is good?" Flame whispered to Zaze.

"Of course; he was the underdog."

Flame nodded. "Good point. I guess we should head back now. We kind of went here for nothing."

Zaze shook his head. "Not really. At least you got a glimpse at your new teacher."

"Always looking at the brighter side of things…"

"Hey, it's what keeps me happy."

The two dragons headed off to the side, lazily heading back to the Temple. The crowd on the other hand were busy cheering on the victor of the Ascension Competition, as Terrador and Volteer inaugurated the new temporary Fire Guardian. As they rounded around the corner, Flame looked up as he saw someone call his name.

"Flame!"

"Ember!"

Zaze turned around, and sure enough saw the dragoness. This was the first time Zaze had laid eyes on her, and sure enough she was wearing jewelry. A heart shaped necklace hung from her neck, bouncing lightly as she walked towards the two males. Zaze had to give Flame credit. He knew how to pick them.

"Oh, hello!" she greeted, noticing Zaze.

"Ember, this is Zaze. Zaze this is Ember."

"Nice to finally meet you." Zaze smiled at her.

She smiled back. "Likewise! Are you two heading back to the Temple?"

"We are," Flame answered.

"Well, I'll walk with you guys."

"Okay then," replied Zaze.

As they continued onwards, Ember was the one that initiated a conversation.

"Did you two manage to see the match between Flare and Pyrus?"

Zaze sighed dejectedly. "Not really. We got here too late."

"Aw, that's sad. If only you could have seen her! She was awesome!"

"She was?" Flame asked.

Wait a minute. Zaze blinked, realizing what Ember had just said.

"She! The new temporary Guardian is a dragoness!"

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11 Rival

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

* * *

Chapter 11

Rival

"And do you love me?" Cynder suddenly blurted out, covering her maw when she realized what she had asked.

Spyro was taken aback at Cynder's last question. Cynder was taken aback at her sudden question. Both of them didn't expect the words that were just released and had clung into the air. Cynder felt her heart skip a beat. She was caught up at the moment, and the words just naturally flowed as her tongue slipped. The proceeding moments of silence felt like an eternity for her as she waited for Spyro's reply.

And when he did, the reply that Spyro gave was something she didn't expect.

Spyro stepped forward, surprising her. And then, he leaned in on her, locking eyes with her. Cynder felt herself drown as she stared into his amethyst eyes. She was so distracted; she didn't notice that Spyro had touched maws with her. The kiss had grounded her back into reality. The touch of his lips meeting hers made her feel a sudden elation. The world around her seemed to just disappear into nothing, leaving her and him, locked in an intimate kiss. All the doubt she had in her mind melted leaving nothing but one thought and one thought only.

Spyro loved her back.

The kiss felt right. And it felt natural; unlike how it had felt when he had kissed Ember. It was completely the opposite. This however; Spyro felt himself get slightly dizzy from the sudden rush of it all. When their lips had touched, there was an electric tingle that seemed to have spark and ignited a burning in his chest. It kept him warm and made his entire body relax completely. It wasn't his first kiss, but dang it sure felt like it. After what felt like a long time for the two of them, Spyro moved away from her. Cynder's cheeks were rosy red, as she was breathing heavily. The act of kissing had gotten her quite excited. Spyro on the other hand, just smiled, and gave her a affectionate nuzzle. Licking her maw playfully, he smirked cheekily.

"Yes, Cynder. I love you; no one else but you; ever since I've met you."

She just felt herself melt as she heard him speak the magical three words. This was it. She now had felt it. She now rightfully could say that she was in love with the Legendary Purple Dragon and she had him all to herself. She was happy. She was on cloud nine.

"Oh Spyro…you're such a charmer," she said, licking him back.

"I try to be. Besides, I already heard you before."

"Huh?"

"I heard you, back at the Volcano. I heard you say 'I love you' just before I pulled the world back together. I've just been waiting for you to say it again to me, since I didn't want to be upfront just in case you weren't ready yet."

Cynder sheepishly laughed. And here she thought Spyro was pursuing a relationship with Ember. How foolish of her.

"Oh, let's just put it all behind us," she replied. "What matters is now."

"Right you are." He gave her another short kiss. "Should we tell the Guardians though?"

Cynder scratched her head. "Uh…I don't think we have to, and I don't think they'll be surprised to find out either."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well…"

0

Volteer scratched his head as he looked at Flare. The dragon they were approaching seemed rather…he couldn't put a paw on it. It had been bugging him ever since he saw the name on the scroll. The name rang a bell deep inside his head that echoed memories that were long forgotten. The dragon…felt familiar to him. He tried his best to remember a dragon named Flare, but nothing seemed to come up. Maybe he was just mistaken?

"Congratulations, Flare, for winning the competition," said Terrador, speaking to the fire dragon.

Flare bowed his head. "It is an honor, I will truly relish."

"That voice…" Volteer mumbled to himself.

"You should. But you do understand this is temporary?"

"Yes," she replied, sounding a bit sad.

Sparx crossed his arms. "Don't be sad mate; with the way things are and how you were, by the time the Guardians are prepared to find a new Fire Guardian, you'd be too perfect to be replaced!"

"We shall see in the future," she replied.

Terrador turned to his side and noticed Volteer. He was awfully rather quiet; not usually his cheery, talkative self. "Volteer, is something the matter?"

"Huh?" he looked up. "What?"

Terrador just raised a brow at him. Flare however smirked. "You've changed Volteer."

Volteer looked at Flare. "How can you say so? I mean no disrespect, but you don't know me."

Flare's smirk turned to a smug smile. "You don't recognize this dragoness do you?"

Volteer blinked dumbly. Sparx however stared at Flare, as if seeing her in a new light.

"I…I…." Volteer cocked his head and examined her more. Flare…the dragoness. That name…it resounded deep within him. And like a key opening a locked door, it opened new memories for him. It all came crashing back: the lake, the predators, the intimacy, and everything else in between; everything.

"Why don't we leave you two to catch up? I'm sure old time friends such as you would want that, come along Sparx."

And with that Terrador excused himself. Sparx, catching the message, followed right behind him, leaving the puzzled electric dragon and the newly appointed Fire Guardian.

"She's a girl! And those two know each other!"

Terrador sighed. "Yes and yes Sparx. She's a girl. I don't really know her personally, but Volteer had mentioned her before back then. I only just remembered her now as well. It's quite nice to know that old friends you know have survived, doesn't it?"

"It does…" replied Sparx. Then he scratched his chin. "This is interesting then. Volteer and Flare…both Guardians…and both have history with one another. I wonder how this pans out."

"We shall see," Terrador replied.

0

Flare sighed dejectedly sitting on her haunches, and wrapping her tail on her paws.

"Really Volteer, you don't really recognize me?"

Volteer blinked and shook his head. "It can't be…"

Flare raised a brow. "Huh?"

"Is that really you…Flare?"

Flare smiled. "Finally, you remember me."

"It's been so long!" he exclaimed with new found energy.  
"It has been. I'm glad to see you're still cheery as always. Though I think you need to get your memory in check."

Volteer rolled his eyes playfully. "My memory is fine. It was just hazy."

"Oh really now? Just a moment ago back told otherwise."

Volteer just glared at her. "I'm glad to see you're safe."

"Likewise to you; I was hoping you could do me a favor?"

"And that would be?"

"Show me the way to the Temple?"

"Why don't you just fly?"

"That would defeat the purpose of me catching up with you."

Volteer chuckled. "Fine then."

"Just like old times eh?"

"I suppose so."

0

"I can't believe she's a girl…" said Flame, as he walked beside Zaze.

The three off them were walking down the road of Warfang, heading back up the Temple. The initial shock of Flare being a girl had now passed and they were just doing small talk. Zaze however, got an idea as he looked at Ember. She was walking a few steps ahead, humming to herself.

"I can see why you like her," he said in a hushed tone. He didn't exactly want Ember to hear about this.

"Huh?" Flame blinked. Then realized what he was talking about. "Oh."

"She's beautiful," he replied.

"She is, isn't she?"

"Then why don't you go ask her out then?"

"What if she rejects me?"

"What if she doesn't reject you?"

"She will; she likes Spyro. The Legendary Purple dragon; most of the time we've been together, she always talks about meeting him one day in her life. I wouldn't be surprised if at one point she tells me she wants him to be her mate. I'm just a 'nobody' in comparison to him." He sighed, looking down the floor.

"You're not a Nobody; you have a heart. All you need to do is show it to her."

Flame just remained quiet, and kept looking down the floor. Zaze however, decided to go with his idea to help Flame get together with Ember.

"I'll prove to you that Spyro is not the apple of Ember's eye." Zaze perked up in hearing this. Zaze met curious eyes.

"How?"  
He smirked smugly. "Simple."

Zaze trotted ahead and caught up to Ember. She smiled, seeing Zaze smile warmly at her. Flame however, just curiously watched, wanting to see what Zaze was going to do.

"What is it?" Ember asked.

Zaze shifted his tone into a suave like manner. "So, uh…want to hang out later?"

Ember blinked, a bit surprised at his sudden move. "Uh…this is all so sudden."

"I know." Zaze raised his brows, and leaned a bit forward. "But you're just too beautiful to pass up."

Flame's jaw nearly hit the floor. He couldn't believe it. Zaze was flirting, no, he was hitting on Ember. He turned his head and saw, much to his surprise that it was actually working. Ember looked a bit shocked, but there was a hint of excitement in her expression.

"T-thank you," she said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"No need to thank me. I'm only stating the truth," Zaze replied. "So, do you take my offer?"

Ember bit her lip; but then nodded. "Yes."

"I'll meet you later then; till then, farewell."

And with that, Zaze winked at her, before proceeding to conveniently drag Flame into a corner, getting both them out of her view. Ember however was just left to stand there, feeling puzzled with her emotions. Her first impression of Zaze was completely destroyed. She did not imagine how…charming the dragon really was. She smiled to herself, imagining how things would turn out later today.

0

"You did not just do that!"

"I did," replied Zaze with a smirk. "Was that enough of a clear message to you?"

Flame sighed. "I suppose so. Were you serious though?"

Zaze raised a brow. "Serious about what?"

"About the date thing? Are you really going to date Ember?"

The tone that Flame had used somehow sounded…threatening. Zaze smiled to himself, realizing his plan was working. Now all he needed to do was turn a push, into a shove.

"Maybe," he said, turning around. "Maybe not."

"What!" Flame exclaimed, realizing the meaning of it all. Zaze had now become another rival for him.

"She is kind of cute," said Zaze scratching his chin.

Flame could only just mentally punch himself; now his chances of getting to Ember only got slimmer. 'You have to make a move now. Or you'll lose her forever!' his mental self shouted at him.

"And besides," Zaze continued, derailing Flame's train of thought. "Competition brings out the best in everyone; most of the time. Now we'll see how serious you are."

Zaze spread opened his wings, before uttering his final statement.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date to prepare for."

And with that, he took off, leaving Flame, to brush off the dust he had conjured.

"What am I going to do…?" Flame asked himself.

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12 Date

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

* * *

Chapter 12

Date

"I see that all the fighting hasn't left you tough and cold."

The two Guardians, Flare and Volteer, were walking about the streets of Warfang, headed towards the Dragon Temple. Volteer had to admit, finding a close friend he thought was dead was a relief to him. For once, he could converse freely and openly, about things he preferred to talk about. And as well as things that he normally wouldn't converse about.

"I'm too perky for that," he replied cheekily.

Flare giggled. "You are. So Volteer, how have you been these past few days?"

"Still the same; reading books to pass the time; we're actually preparing the needed equipment and finalizing everything for the Temple to work in full order."

"I see."

"How about you?"

"Hmm?"

"Where have you been?"

"Where most of the others were; I was part of the colony that arrived here rather late. I was sad to hear that we missed the celebration party."

"That you did."

The two began to stride up the stone steps, beginning their long ascent to the Dragon Temple.

"So Volteer…I do not wish to pry but…" she bit her lips. "How is….have you ever heard of…is she…?"

Flare was clearly having a hard time forming a coherent sentence. However, Volteer clearly got the gist of what she was trying to ask. He stopped in his tracks, looking down at the floor. He felt a pang at his heart, as he remembered that now…she was dead. It wasn't painful as it initially was, as time healed the wound. But the feeling of loneliness and sorrow were still there.

"She's dead," he answered in an almost hushed tone. "I've only heard of the news from Pyre."

Flare stared at him caringly. "I see…"

Volteer sighed. He didn't want to sour his mood by moping about it. "Yes."

"I am sorry."

"Hm?" Volteer looked up to see Flare scratching her head.

"I shouldn't have brought it up. She was a close friend of yours and—"

"It's okay," Volteer cut her off.

She nodded, and the two continued to walk on, a short silence between them. The cheery atmosphere that was once with them, had taken a dip.

0

"So Terrador, how do you know about Flare again?"

The golden dragonfly cocked his head, as he flew beside the green Guardian. The two were now at the courtyard, with the Temple doors ahead of them. Terrador turned his head, and faced Sparx.

"Well Sparx, like I've said earlier, I don't know her personally. Most of th stuff I do know about her, is from what Volteer had talk to me about. We're more like acquaintances."

Sparx nodded. "Oh I see. So who is she exactly then?"

"She's Volteer's old partner."

Sparx scratched his head. "Partner? In what context are we talking about?"

Terrador chuckled. "You see Sparx, when you are training to become a Guardian, you will occasionly be sent to do missions—or errands depending on how you look at them. They can range from simple deliveries of scrolls, or complex missions, such as checking out a disturbance, and dealing with said disturbance."

"Wow, that's…tedious." Terrador nodded. "And I assume that it depends on the mission, if you get a partner?"

Terrador nodded again. "Yes."

"Volteer and Flare were mostly partnered together?"

"They were. That's why her demeanor towards him was like that."

Sparx smirked. "So how about you?"  
"Pardon?"

"Were you partnered with someone most of the time?"

"I was never partnered with anyone," he answered flatly.

Sparx laughed at this, realizing the situation he must have been in. "You were sent to do simple missions then?"

But Terrador's answer broke his cheery laugh. "No. Quite the contrary," he replied, sounding slightly smug. "I was usually the one chosen for the tedious and not to mention dangerous missions."

"You were?" Sparx blinked. "And you weren't partnered?"

"Yes; because I was strong enough to handle myself."

Sparx cocked his head to the side. "This was when you were training to become a Guardian?"

"Yes."

"Do I detect a bit of smugness?"

Terrador smirked at him. "I only state the facts."

"You know Terrador, you're beginning to sound like Cyril, when you say it like that."

"Do I now?"

Sparx nodded. "It doesn't suit you."

"Arrogance doesn't suit anyone."

"Tell that to Cyril; I wonder how he'll react."  
"He'll feel offended."

"Well, since we're here already, I'm going to go check on Spyro."

Terrador nodded. "It was nice to have your company Sparx. It's been so long that I forgot how it was like."

"I actually enjoyed it myself too."

"And here I thought you were going to be annoying the whole time."

Sparx chuckled. "I didn't know you had a sense of humor," he replied jokingly.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me Sparx."

"Good point. Anyways, see you later."

Sparx then flew off, leaving Terrador to his own devices. The golden dragonfly rounded around the corner, and found the electric dragon, Zaze, land a few feet away from him.

"Hey Zaze!" he called out.

Zaze turned his head, and smiled, seeing him. "Oh Sparx!"

"You seem happy. What's up?"

Zaze shook his head. "Oh not much; just have a date to prepare for."

Sparx stared at him for a moment, before breaking out in laughter.

"What's so funny?" Zaze asked.

Sparx composed himself. "I thought you said you were on a date! Good one!"

Zaze just gave him a blank stare, half amused. "I'm serious."

Sparx blinked, realizing the gravity of his statement. "Wait, you're serious!'

"I just said that."

"Who are you going out with?"

Zaze scratched his head. "Technically, it's not a date. I did say to her that we should hang out. And I wasn't really all that serious."

"Dude, hang out equals date. Who's the dragoness?"

"Ember."

"Ember?"

"Ember."

"EMBER?"

"Sparx, how many times do I have to say it? I am hanging out with Ember. Okay?" Zaze asked, getting annoyed.

"You're hanging out with Ember?"

The two of them turned around to find Spyro before them. His brow was raised, and a smirk was on his lips.

"Yeah," Zaze replied. "Now can you two excuse me? I need to freshen up."

"Good luck!" said Sparx, as Zaze walked off.

Once Zaze was out of earshot, Sparx chuckled. "Hang out? More like a date."

"I don't know…" Spyro replied.  
"We'll know sooner or later." Sparx turned his head, and faced his brother. "Spyro."

"Yes?"

Sparx began to stare at him intensely. Spyro couldn't help but feel a bit self conscious at how Sparx scrutinized him.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

"No." The dragonfly scratched his chin. "You look…no…you feel…different."

Spyro's face cocked to the side. "What?"

"Something about you seems…different."

"And what would that be?"

"Where's Cynder?"

"Resting at my room."

Spyro blinked, realizing at how fast he answered that question, without actually thinking about it. Here he was, trying to delay the news of him and Cynder being now an official couple, but failing badly at it. Of all the dragons that would be the first to know, it had to be Sparx. He could have managed to fix his predicament, if only he hadn't shown the shocked expression on his face.

But it was too late now.

Sparx's eyes went wide as he fit the pieces of the puzzle together. His senses tingling, telling him something was off. And the fact that Cynder was in Spyro's room. This wouldn't have been an odd event, but it was for the fact that she was resting in his room. Cynder had her own room. Why would she rest there? In Spyro's room, of all rooms; it all pointed to one conclusion.

0

Flame sighed as he stared out the window. The moon was now up high at the sky and the stars were twinkling brightly against the inky black landscape. It was night time now, and he couldn't stop thinking about Zaze and Ember. His electric friend got to her first. Of all the dragons, it was him. If only he had acted faster. If only he had braved himself to just ask her outright. It was stupid, now that he thought about it. He was afraid she would reject him. But Zaze proved him wrong. He clearly demonstrated that Ember was still open. And in doing so, he earned himself a date. It was a date. Just a date….

"Maybe I still have a chance…" he told himself.

But how? What was he going to say? He needed advice. After scratching his chin, he thought of the one dragon that would be the best dragon to approach to, if you were dealing with a subject such as Ember.

0

Ember patiently waited at the courtyard off the Temple. She was giddy, excited and with a tinge of nervousness. She had never been on a date before, and the fact that the dragon she was going out with was someone she classified as an acquaintance, didn't help her nerves. Sure, Zaze looked like a good dragon. He and Flame got along quite well. But she didn't know him personally. She only knew him from afar. And her first impression on him was made earlier that day.

He…was…suave. She had to admit. Zaze looked quite comical, laid back and definitely a guy who's great to hang around with. But he could be quite charming if he wanted to be. She wouldn't deny the fact that it made her heart tingle.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting."

She turned around, to see Zaze smiling warmly at her. She shook her head, feeling a bit nervous in his presence.

"No, you didn't."

"I'm glad." Zaze walked up to her, and stood next to her, before admiring the stars up above.

"Ember, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think of Spyro?"

Ember blinked. "Huh?"

"I heard from Flame that you liked Spyro. I'm just curious to know what you think about him."

"Ah."

She shook her head. "It's not what you think."

"Huh?" Zaze cocked his head to the side.

"If what I am imagining is what I think you're imagining, then it's not true."

"Depends, what are you imagining?"

"I don't see Spyro that way." She shook her head, looking back up at the skies. "You could say I look up to him. But to pursue him in a romantic sense is not my goal."

"Ah…" said Zaze, realizing this.

So Ember likes Spyro; but not to the point that she wants him. That was a lot simpler than it should have been. He made a mental note to tell this to Flame later. Speaking of mental things, Zaze cringed a bit, as he felt a sudden pang in his head.

"Are you okay?"

"It's nothing." That was out of the blue. "Listen, Ember, there's something I have to tell you."

"Yes?" Ember looked at him.

"You do understand that I asked you earlier, for us to hang out, not on a date, as everyone seems to think."

"Y-you did?"

"I did."

"Oh…I thought we were…"

"Almost everyone seems to think it so. But I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For making you feel nervous, and thinking you were going to go on a date. But I had my reasons."

Ember sighed, feeling her nervousness ebb away. She wouldn't deny it. Zaze had a point. He did ask her out to hang out. Not on a date; but there was a part of her that wanted it to be date; a small part of her. Now that she thought about it, it was kind of out off the blue for him to suddenly ask her out.

"Why did you ask me out anyway?"

Zaze smiled. "I'm glad you asked. But before I answer that, what do you think about Flame?"

"Flame?" Ember was surprised at the sudden question. But nonetheless, she answered.

"Well…he's…I think of him as a good friend. We've been together quite a lot. He's been there for me, and I've been there for him when we needed each other. I trust him more than anyone else."

"I see."

"Why do you ask?"

"Well…I think he likes you."

Ember blinked, her eyes filled with surprise. She was caught off guard by the sudden statement.

"W-what?"

Zaze chuckled. "Ember, I think Flame likes y—ow!"

Zaze gripped his head, feeling a wave of pain wash over him. "Oww…."

"Zaze, what's wrong?"

But Zaze was slowly losing his grip. The pain for him was too much too handle. And just as it suddenly came, it disappeared. However it was replaced with a sudden onset of exhaustion. Losing control of his body, he toppled to the side, losing consciousness all together, before falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Here we go folks. The main plot of the story finally starts to rear its head.**

**Feanor the Dragon: Have you ever considered getting an account? I want to reply to some of your reviews, but I can't since they're anonymous reviews.**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	13. Chapter 13 Dragon of Destiny

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

* * *

Chapter 13

Dragon of Destiny

Zaze groaned as he slowly came back to reality. He didn't know how long he was out, but it must've been hours. His head was throbbing painfully but nonetheless the pain he had felt earlier was now beginning to ebb away. He shook his head feeling light headed as he got his bearings back.

"What the hell happened earlier...?" he asked himself. His brain began to work again, and the memories flooded back in. Flashes of images raced across his mind, quickly catching him up to speed. There was him, talking with Ember, and there was him, losing consciousness. He lost consciousness. From what? A simple headache? That didn't make any sense.

He looked around him, expecting to see Ember, but instead he found no one. Apparently, his headache wasn't the only thing not making any sense. To his surprise, he was no longer at the courtyard of the Temple; nor at Warfang as it would seem. Instead, he was in some weird looking…library. It was dimly lit, giving the place an eerie atmosphere. It was quiet, the sound of his breathing the only thing he could hear. There were rows upon rows of bookshelves, filled to the brim with books; nothing but books.

"If this is a dream…what kind of a dragon am I to dream about a library?"

He curiously peeked at the corner, only to find the halls of the library empty.

"Hello?" Zaze's voice echoed across the empty halls, reverberating against the cave walls.

"Is anyone there?"

That was when Zaze felt a sudden cold chill behind him. He had that gnawing feeling. That feeling you get when you feel that someone is standing behind you and is looking at you. He was feeling that, and his entire body froze in fear. Almost mechanically, he gulped and turned his head. He was an odd looking dragon to say the least. His scales were teal and majority of his color was at the range of blue. He was even wearing what seemed like an odd necklace. Zaze's eyes traveled to his face and he saw that he had a warm smile.

How anticlimactic. However, Zaze didn't lower his guard.

"Who are you?"  
"I am the Chronicler. You may call me Ignitus."  
"Okay…Ignitus, I'm assuming you're not going to try and kill me?" He chuckled at his statement.  
"No. I come in peace."  
"Good. Where are we?"  
"We are at my lair; at While Isle."

Lair? More like a library. The place was humongous. Books where everywhere he looked, arranged neatly in their respective bookshelves. Whoever this Ignitus was, he must have really loved books. Zaze's attention however was diverted, when one of the books began to glow. He glanced at Ignitus and apparently he was doing it. The book glowed faintly, before it removed itself from the bookshelf and floated towards him.

"What do you have there?" Ignitus glanced at me, as the pages of the book were magically turning themselves.  
"Your book."  
"My book?"  
"Yes Zaze, your book."

Zaze blinked and stared at him.

"How do you know my name?"  
"I am the Chronicler," he answered. "I am the dragon chosen to watch over the Books of Time. The Books of Time have recorded almost every part of dragon history and every dragon has a book dedicated to their lives. This book—like I said—is your book."

That was the first time Zaze had ever heard of a dragon named Chronicler. Or the fact that he had a book dedicated to his life.

"What! What are you talking about? How can I have a book dedicated to my life!"  
"Every dragon that ever lived has one. Spyro, Cynder, the Guardians, every one. It is my sole duty to watch over these books and chronicle Dragon History."  
Zaze thought for a moment. "Can I see it? I lost my memory and—"

"I know Zaze. I read about it. And no; you cannot."  
"Huh? Why not?"  
The Chronicler sighed. "Because Zaze, only I, the Chronicler, has the ability to read the books; if a normal dragon such as yourself looks at the book, you will only see blank pages."  
Zaze scratched his chin. "Why don't you just tell me then?"  
"I can't."  
"Why not?"  
"It's not that I don't want to. It's just that I cannot."  
"Huh?"  
"You see Zaze, being the Chronicler, you are bound by an oath." Zaze listened intently, telling him to continue. "That oath, in essence tells me that I am forbidden to...meddle, for a simple choice of words." Ignitus looked forlorn.  
"Oh..." He then noticed the expression he bore. "What's so sad about that?"  
Ignitus sighed. "It's sad because you have the ability to see dragons' future but you cannot do a thing if harm befalls them."  
"So in other words, if you read about a dragon that is going to die, you can't warn him of his fate?"  
"Correct. Such is the consequences of being the Chronicler. You are only a passive observer. However in your case, I appear before you since your book wills me to do so."

The book before him closed, and his expression took on a more serious tone.

"Enough of this trivial talk; let us get serious. The main reason I have summon you here is because the Dragon Realms is in danger."  
Danger? This is serious then. "And you're telling me this…why?"  
"It's because, Zaze, you are—"

However, Zaze cut him off before he could speak. He had a pretty good idea what he was going to say.

"It's because I'm the only one who can stop this impending if I don't, we will all die and the world will end. Is that what you're trying to say?"

Ignitus looked surprised. He must have taken the words right out of his mouth.

"More or less."

Zaze scoffed.

"No!" The Chronicler looked stunned at his sudden outburst. Anyone would. "I'm not buying this 'you're the dragon of destiny' or whatever it is they call it. Sorry, but I think you've summoned the wrong dragon. I think you should have tried Spyro. He's more cut out for this. He IS the Legendary Purple Dragon."

The Chronicler just continued to stare at him, still looking quite surprised. Zaze sighed and regained his composure.

"Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have exploded like that. It's just that, I can't do this. I'm not qualified for this. I'm nobody, and it's not like I have experience in saving the world; so if you would be so kind, just UN-summon me and send me back to the Temple."

He must have been quite shocked. All he had been doing whilst Zaze was talking was glance at him, then the book, then back to him. But still, he replied. He cocked his head to the side, and had a wry smile.

"Intriguing; I should have known better."  
"Known what? That I wasn't right for the job?"  
"No. You; reacting like this; your book has shown me that you would react like this, once I break the news to you. I was expecting it to be subtle and not…explicit."

A sudden outburst really isn't subtle now is it?

"Well I'm glad that the book has foretold this. I'm sorry if I am sounding rude to you or anything. I don't mean to disrespect. It's just that I don't want this type of responsibility. And besides, like I said, why me; and not Spyro?"  
Ignitus looked at him seriously. "The circumstances don't allow him to be so. "  
"What? Why?" Zaze asked, confused.  
Ignitus shook his head. "That is all I am allowed to say. I was to inform you of your role in all of this and I have done so. Now, I must return you. May the ancestors watch over you; May they watch over us all."  
"Wait! You haven't answered my question yet!" But Ignitus wasn't paying attention to him but instead closed his eyes.

A slight blue aura began to radiate from him. That was when Zaze began to feel a sudden sense of drowsiness wash over him. Before he knew it, his eyes were closing and his body tipped to the side. He lost consciousness as he fell into a slumber.

0

The morning clouds parted as the sun made way and brightened the horizon. It's sunlight crept up the streets and slowly seeped into the open windows, spilling the light and illuminating the room. It's light reached one specific body that lay spread eagled on a pile of cushions. He shifted as the sun began to bask his rump. Zaze groaned as he felt his consciousness slip right back into him. He rolled to his side and stretched. He had just gotten the weirdest dream ever.

"That was one weird dream…" he said, rubbing his eyes slowly. Standing up, he curled his back, flexing his muscles. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Zaze went over to the door and opened it. Apparently his visitor was Flame.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I heard about what happened last night."

"Last night?" Zaze scratched his head trying to remember. "What exactly happened last night?"

"What happened?" Flame blurted. "I'm the one who's supposed to be asking you that!"

"Huh?" Zaze asked puzzled.

"I heard that you lost consciousness! What exactly happened?" He asked frantically. Then a smirk formed on his lips. "Did Ember smack you or something?"

Zaze chuckled. "You wish; but no."

"I guess that's good to hear," Flame replied. "So…mind telling me what happened exactly?"

"Are you just asking me that because you want to know how the date happened? Or are you legitimately worried about me?" Zaze asked smartly.

Flame scoffed. "I wouldn't be lying if I said yes to the latter."

"Fair enough," said Zaze. Flame dodged that question quite nicely.

"I met up with her, talk for a bit, and then felt woozy. After that, I had a strong headache, and then lost consciousness. Happy?"

"So the date didn't actually happen?" Flame asked, almost happily.

"Yes Romeo, it didn't. I'm glad you care about my well being."

Flame's bubble popped, realizing what he was actually expressing. "Oh, I mean, that's good to hear. Are you feeling better?"

"I am. I remember passing out in front of Ember at the courtyard. Who brought me here to my room anyway?"

"The Guardians; it was Cyril and Terrador."

"I see." Zaze scratched his chin, and in almost perfect unison, his stomach growled. "Ate breakfast yet?"

"No. That's the other reason why I came to get you. So we can eat breakfast together."

"Now there's a nice thought."

Flame smiled and then chuckled. "What are friends for?"

"Yeah."

The two of them began to walk down the halls, heading to the Dining Hall.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**I'm not going to spoil anything, but feel free to keep guessing who messed Zaze's room. I can tell you one thing though. You'd be surprised as to WHO did it, and WHY he did it.**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	14. Chapter 14 Spar

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

* * *

Chapter 14

Spar

On the other side of the Dragon Temple, two dragons were slowly stirring as the sun greeted them. The legendary purple dragon was hugging the body of his mate in a loving embrace. The two were intertwined as their bodies were in a tangled heap. As the sun began to slowly rise, one of them awoke from their slumber. Spyro groaned as he opened his eyes. He shifted, rubbing his maw against the back Cynder's neck. The nudge woke her up.

"Good morning…" she said groaning.

"Good morning to you too," he replied to her. Spyro yawned, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"You know Spyro?" Cynder turned her head to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"You snore; loudly."

Spyro snorted. "No way; you snore louder."

Cynder scoffed. "I couldn't sleep because you were snoring into my ear. I think you were even drooling. I could feel a slight wetness there." Spyro smirked, getting a sudden mischievous idea.

"Was it like this?" Spyro asked, before giving her an affectionate lick at the ear. Cydner cooed, feeling a bit ticklish. "No. But that's definitely a lot better than it was."

Spyro laughed lightly. He then proceeded to give her licks after licks at her maw, then finally ending it with a tender kiss to the lips.

"I love you," she whispered to him.

"I love you more," he replied.

Then at that moment, Spyro's stomach growled.

"I think your stomach disagrees," Cynder said jokingly. "You love food more."

Spyro laughed sheepishly, before breaking the embrace they were locked into. Cynder involuntarily whimpered, already missing the warmth that Spyro gave.

"Come on Cynder, let's get breakfast."

Cynder sighed, but eventually stood up. She stretched before walking ahead of Spyro. She playfully slid her tail across Spyro's neck, brushing up against his neck. Spyro cooed, feeling ticklish.

"Well?" Cynder asked, looking at him with a sly smile.

Spyro shook his head, before wrapping his tail around hers. And with that, the two dragons headed to the Dining Hall.

0

With the sun shining up high above the clouds, the Dragon Temple's residents were waking up. One of the early dragons, who was already up and about, was the new Fire Guardian, Flare. However, the great morning wasn't welcoming for the dragoness, as her thoughts were rather scattered.

The talk that she had with Volteer yesterday weighed heavily on her mind. Even though Volteer seemed fine and dandy about it, it was still quite clear. He was still disturbed about the death of his beloved. And that was something that was bad for her. And clearly, one dragon had noticed this.

0 = 0 = 0

"She's dead," he answered in an almost hushed tone. "I've only heard of the news from Pyre."

Flare stared at him caringly. "I see…"

Volteer sighed. He didn't want to sour his mood by moping about it. "Yes."

"I am sorry."

"Hm?" Volteer looked up to see Flare scratching her head.

"I shouldn't have brought it up. She was a close friend of yours and—"

"It's okay," Volteer cut her off.

She nodded, and the two continued to walk on, a short silence between them. The cheery atmosphere that was once with them, had taken a dip.

"Listen, Flare," Volteer began. She glanced at him. "I really enjoy talking with you and all this. But I think…" Volteer sighed and stared at the ground. "I want to be alone for now."

Flare smiled understandingly. Approaching him, she placed a paw on his shoulder.

"Take all the time you need partner." Volteer looked at her, a bit surprised at what she said. "I'll always be here for you."

Volteer smiled warmly, giving her an unexpected hug. "Thank you."

Flare was taken aback, but nonetheless returned the hug. A tinge of red across her cheeks was visible. "Uh…you're welcome."

Breaking the hug, Volteer took off, flying off towards the direction of the Temple.

Flare let out a sigh as she watched him go. Her eyes traced the direction he went, before he disappeared off the corner, her view blocked by the buildings. She sat on her haunches, resting for a moment.

"You like him don't you?"

Flare froze. Mechanically, her head snapped towards the direction of the voice. It came from a dragon that had a mischievous smile on his face. It was an electric dragon that was now slowly approaching her. Flare's brows furrowed.

"W-who are you?" she asked, trying to regain her composure.

The dragon flexed out his chest like a stud. "Zaze; Zaze the Dragon."

"Oh I remember you. You were the one talking to Volteer earlier. So that's your name."

"Yeah; that's my name. And I know yours. Flare was it?"

"Yes."

"It's nice to meet you Flare; congrats on being crowned Fire Guardian."

"Thank you."

"And I see you've got your eye on the Electric Guardian."

Flare's cheeks instinctively went red. Good thing her scales were red, so it wasn't in contrast.

"Uh…no; that's what you call comforting one's friend." Zaze stared at her for a moment, before his expression relaxed.

"I guess you could say that. I was only testing out if my hunch was true."

"That I liked him?"

"Yes. And I suppose I was mistaken."

Flare smiled. "Fair enough; no harm done."

"You mentioned that you were partners?"

"We were. I don't want to brag, but I think we were the best there ever was."

Zaze chuckled. "Why is that?"

"Well for many reasons. One of the main ones is that we have a strong bond of trust."

"Oh…you trust him with your life then?"

"I do. More than anyone else in the world…" she said, looking off at the distance.

"It's not easy to trust someone that much. Something must have happened right?"

"Something did." She sighed. "I owe my life to him."

"Really?"

"Yes. Without him, I wouldn't be here right now."

"I see." Zaze nodded. "Well, it was nice chatting with you. I have to go now. I have a date to prepare for."

"Good luck with that then," said Flare.

Zaze smiled, before spreading his wings. "Oh, and one last thing."

"Yeah?"

"Just tell him how you feel!" he then took off.

0 = 0 = 0

Admittedly, Zaze's hunch was right. She tried to deny it at best, and didn't want others to know; but failed. She liked Volteer. Ever since he had saved her life back then, she had always respected the electric dragon, and before she knew it, had fallen for him. Problem was, at the time, Volteer was already in a relationship. Now though, she was having second thoughts.

"If only it was that easy…" she said to herself, remembering Zaze's words.

Clearly Volteer was still disturbed and needed some time before opening up again. She feared that he wasn't ready yet to be in another relationship, now that he was still recovering and all. He needed time. Something she no longer had. Her patience in waiting for him was wearing thin. She wasn't sure if he really was all worth it, now that time has passed. She shook her head. Her personal life can wait, with all its problems behind it. She was a Guardian now, and this was her first official day as a Guardian. She had duties to be assigned to her. And that was when the thought struck her. Conveniently enough, it was Volteer who was tasked in briefing her about her new duties at the Temple.

0

"So you up for this?" Flame asked.

"Oh heck yes!" Zaze said enthusiastically. "Been a long time since I've got my freak on."

"This should be interesting then," Flame said. "And remember; don't forget the deal; alright?"

"Just no fatal attacks," said Zaze.

"Understandable."

And with that, the two buddies headed inside the Dining Hall, to enjoy their morning meal. Cynder was there, but Spyro wasn't in sight. Instead, she was eating alongside the pink dragoness Ember. The two were chatting animatedly, and didn't notice the two enter the room.

"I see, so he fainted?" Cynder asked.

"Yeah…" Ember said, scratching her head. "I hope he'll be alright."

"Don't worry about Zaze. He's going to be fine." Cynder turned her head, and saw the dragon they were talking about. "Look, he's right here. Looking the same way he always has been."

Ember turned her head. Her demeanor immediately changed, seeing Zaze looking peachy. "Zaze, are you feeling better?"

"Hey Ember—yeah; the headache's gone. Thanks for worrying about me." Flame just snorted at this, as he took his seat beside Ember.

"He's one tough dragon, Ember. Don't worry," said Flame his tone sounding with slight annoyance.

"Right you are Flame," said Cynder.

"Where's Spyro?" Flame asked.

"He's with Terrador; got errands to do and whatnot."

"He'll probably be gone for the whole day," added Zaze.

"So what have you two been up to?" Cynder asked, as she took a bite of her breakfast.

Flame glanced at Zaze. "We got a sparring match arranged. Want to watch?" he asked enthusiastically, turning to Ember.

"Sure!" Ember chirped. "I've got nothing better to do. How about you, Cynder?"

"I'm apparently on the same boat as well. I'm in."

"Okay then. Let's finish this breakfast fast so we can get this over with," said Zaze."

0

A few minutes later, the four dragons headed to the Training Dojo. The double doors opened, opening to the familiar circular room. The statue had already lowered itself, forming the sparring area at the center. Ember and Cynder walked to the side, and seated themselves, eagerly waiting for the boys. Zaze and Flame on the other hand, walked up to the center.

"I hope I can still fight…" said Zaze.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Flame asked.

"It's been a long time since I've been in combat. In fact, I don't even know if I ever was in combat." Zaze began to stretch, a few joints crackling in the process. "I can't remember the last time I even used my electric breath."

"Maybe you should warm up a bit," said Flame. "I want this fight to be fair."  
"Good point."

Zaze stretched his neck. With a gentle tap on the floor, he summoned a training dummy before him. Opening his maw, he summoned forth his electric element. It came out fast, shooting from his maw, hitting the dummy square in the head. The electricity crackled, as it ignited the dummy, and set it on fire. In a cloud of smoke, it disappeared, as it was taken down. Another one quickly rose behind it, and Zaze instinctively attacked it. Channeling his electricity, he spun around, and launched himself. His tail blade glowed as electricity coursed through it. He landed, smacking the dummy with his tail. It crumbled completely, the air around it crackling with electricity.

"Yup; still got it."

* * *

**Author's Notes: I had totally forgotten to post this yesterday. Sorry guys! My bad!**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author.**


	15. Chapter 15 Dragon Techniques

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

* * *

Chapter 15

Dragon Techniques

"Okay…I think I've warmed up enough."

Zaze cocked his head side to side, some of his joints sounding off. He stretched his paws and even his tail as he prepared for the sparring match they were to have. Flame on the other hand was doing some stretches as well. Cynder and Ember were at the side, watching eagerly for the boys to begin. As Flame stretched and prepared himself, his mind wandered.

"I can do this. I believe in myself."

0 = 0 = 0

Flame stood idly at the halls of the Temple. He had made up his mind. In his efforts to seek advice on how to deal with his relationship issues, he decided he should talk about it to the Guardians. They were old and mature. They probably have experienced what he was experiencing now. And have dealt with it accordingly. Here he was now, going to ask how they did so. Braving himself, he knocked on the door.

"Yes?" It was Cyril.

"Can I come in? It's me, Flame."

"Of course," Cyril replied. The door slid opened, and the Ice Guardian ushered him in.

There they were. The three Guardians; Cyril, Terrador and Volteer, resting on their colour coded cushions. Flare wasn't there, for obvious reasons. She had her separate room for privacy and decency purposes. Cyril directed him to relax at the empty set of red cushions. No doubt, **it** used to belong to Ignitus.

"What is it young dragon? Is something bothering you?" Terrador asked.

Flame sighed. "I didn't know anyone else to turn to…my father's not exactly here…"

"I see. What is it then?" asked Volteer.

"This is more awkward for me, than it is for you three…but…I don't know what to do…"

"About what?" Cyril asked.

"Well…" Flame twiddled his paws. His cheeks turned slightly red. It really was awkward. "There's this dragoness I like and…"

"Oh…" Cyril chuckled. "It's this sort of problem."

"Who is the dragoness?" Volteer asked curiously, leaning his head on his paw.

"E-Ember…"

"Fitting; and you're problem exactly is?" Terrador asked. "You can't talk to her? What is it?"

"Well, it's not that…it's just that…"

"You have a rival then?" Cyril questioned.

Flame looked at him. He guessed correctly. "Y-yes."

"Who is it?" Volteer asked. "Spyro?"

"No. Zaze."

Terrador blinked, caught a bit off guard. "Zaze. As in, Zaze?"

"The one and only."

"Never expected him to be in relationships."

"He always loved being the bridge; never the crosser. This is unlike him…" said Volteer thoughtfully.

"Huh?" asked Flame. He didn't understand what he meant.  
Volteer shook his head. "It's not important."

"What's important though is this. I can give you a suggestion on how to…beat your rival so to say," said Cyril proudly. "But it is only a suggestion. It is yours to decide if you wish to do it."

"What is it?" Flame asked.

"Wait, are you going to tell him what I think you're going to tell him?" Terrador asked.

"Most likely; it is customary; almost innate in us all."

Flame was puzzled. "Huh? What are you guys talking about?"

"Cyril, if I may," Volteer glanced at him.

"Go ahead."

"Flame," Volteer turned to him. "Cyril is saying, you should challenge Zaze."

"Challenge?"

"Challenge him to a match. And beat him fair and square. That is what the dragons of old used to do. Whenever there was a female that both males liked. They would normally challenge each other in a match. Whoever succeeds in beating their opponent rightfully has the right to claim the female for him. It was how disputes about mates were settled."

"Natural selection, at its finest and regal form," added Cyril.

Flame scratched his head. "I'm not sure."

"Why is that?" Terrador asked, looking at him.

"I…I don't think I'm strong enough."

"You think? Do you not believe? Are you not sure of your own abilities?" Terrador asked.

Flame just looked at the dragon, feeling inspired. "Flame, strength is not the only way to say you are strong. It is also important for one to believe in his abilities; because that is the only way, for one to reach his full potential."

"I…I understand it now. Thank you for the advice. I think I'm going to challenge Zaze tomorrow."

"Good luck then," replied Volteer.

Flame smiled, before heading out; as the door slid to a close, Cyril breath out a sigh.

"Ah…reminds me of how I was when I used to be young…"

"Really now?" Terrador asked, looking at him. "How that worked out for you?"

"Well," Cyril shrugged and gave him a smug smile. "I had my own share of flings here and there. How about you?"

Terrador shook his head. "Never had one; never had the time."

Cyril and Volteer glanced at him. "Never had one?"

He shook his head, and averted his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."

Terrador turned around, and retreated to his corner of the room. Lying at his cushions, he rested, and was planning on going to sleep. The Electric and Ice Guardian just glanced at each other. This; this was a side of Terrador they had not seen before. The Earth Guardian was the least…verbal of the four of them. He always kept to himself, and when he talked, he was straight to the point of the topic. He never opened up about himself.

It just marked how much they don't know about the Earth Guardian. They knew he was strong. They knew he was a responsible Guardian; a great comrade and colleague to have. But aside from that, Terrador was a stranger to them.

They **didn****'****t know** who Terrador **was** inside.

0 = 0 = 0

"Good luck you guys!" Cynder shouted.

Cynder's voice cut through Flame's thoughts, bringing him back to reality. Terrador's words rang in his head, giving him the encouragement he needed. He can do this. He can beat Zaze. And after that, he'll confess to her. That's all there is to it.

"May the best dragon win!" Ember added.

Zaze just chuckled, glancing at them. He turned his head to face Flame, who was now in a fighting stance.

"Okay, one last check; the first one to incapacitate the other wins right?" Zaze asked.

"Unless the other gives up," Flame added.  
"Like that would ever happen," said Zaze confidently.

"Enough chit chat then," Flame said. He glanced at Ember, nodding to her.

"I guess, that's my cue," she said.

She stood up and walked over to the side, and stood on her hind legs. Looking at the two of them, she wished them good luck.

"Let the sparring match…BEGIN!" she shouted eagerly. She quickly ran back to Cynder, to give the two space.

Zaze didn't miss a beat. He quickly went for the offensive. He charged right at Flame, spurting electric shots at him. Expecting it, Flame dodged to the side, and delivered his own fireballs right back at him. The electricity and the balls of fire collided in the air, making a sort of lightshow begin. The girls at the side could only watch in awe as the boys strut out their stuff and show what they were made **of**. Zaze dodged to the side, the fireball barely missing his tail. He wasn't making any progress with this whatsoever. It was time to kick it up a notch.

Directing all his electric powers to his tail, he jumped and spun around. With a quick flick, his tail **channeled** all the bolts out, sending a sickle shaped bolt of electricity heading straight towards Flame. The dragon didn't see it coming, but with quick agility, he jumped over it, his paws barely clearing it. The bolt of electricity crackled underneath him, zooming below him and headed straight for the wall. Zaze could only smile, seeing as how Flame dodged it, the way he planned it. He smiled as he immediately saw what was coming. Flame was relieved as he dodged that attack. It would have been shockingly, no pun intended, painful. But as he was landing, he happened to catch a glimpse of Zaze's expression. He was smiling? Why would he be smiling?

"Oh man! Zaze missed!" shouted Cynder said, seeing Flame easily jump over Zaze's attack.

"I know right!" replied Ember. "I thought for sure he would have—"

She then let out a gasp. This caught Cynder's attention.

"What is it?"

"Flame watch out!"

"Huh?"

Flame's paws were nearly on the ground but he didn't make it. He heard Ember call out to her, making him jerk his head. But the warning was already too late. In a flash, his entire body jolted. He screamed in pain, collapsing onto the floor in a heap. His entire backside hurt like hell.

"Come on Flame; already down?" Zaze called out.

Flame cringed in pain. He had forgotten how much it hurt when you actually get hit by something. He was rough around the edges. He couldn't remember the last time he was in a fight, but he could definitely say, it's been a very long time. A simple attack like that was very easy to dodge. His pride stung; Zaze had got him good by a low level elemental technique. But he wasn't giving up that easily.

"What did he do?" Cynder asked, turning to Ember. "I didn't see it."

Ember turned to face her. "You see, that bolt of lighting he sent was shaped to be a sickle for a reason."

Cynder wondered at this statement for a moment. Shaped like a sickle. Then it clicked.

"Oh! I get it now! It was like a boomerang."

Ember nodded. "It was designed to go back and hit again, just in case it missed the first time. It's a very simple elemental technique actually. I'm surprised that Flame got hit. It's very easy to dodge."

By now Flame was on his four paws again, a smirk on his face. Zaze only raised his brows.

Flame immediately focused all of his powers to his paws. With a gentle tap on the floor, all of his four paws sparked. To Zaze's surprise, Flame's paws were literally, on fire. This, Zaze didn't expect. Flame flashed him a smug smirk. Using the momentary surprise, Flame charged right at him, his paws leaving a trail **of** small fires in its wake. He lunged at him with his claws, but missed him, barely. Zaze sidestepped to the right, though he was clearly met with a swipe of Flame's tail. It smacked him at his side, taking his defense down.

This was the opening Flame was looking for.

As Zaze staggered, Flame focused all of his strength. Rearing up on his **hind legs**, he retracted his paws, and hit him one strong punch across the face. It hit dead on, his paws covered with fire, adding extra damage. Zaze was sent flying to the side, before skidding to a halt, right at the edge of the ring.

Flame panted, the fire in his paws dissipating. Did he win?

Zaze groaned, feeling his entire body ache. His opponent walked over to the side, and checked over him. Flame flashed him another smug smile.

"Give up?"

Zaze rubbed his right cheek. He sighed out of annoyance. "I give up."

Flame grinned. "YES! …wait? WHAT!"

Cynder shook her head. "He gave up…that's just…"

"Nice going Flame! You beat him!" Ember cheered.

Flame smiled at her. Looking down at the floor, Zaze was just staring back at him. Flame's brows furrowed. "Why give up?"

"Eh." Zaze shrugged. "It's too troublesome for me to keep on fighting. I forgot how painful it is to get hurt again. Anyways, a deal's a deal mate. I'll cease pursuing her."

"Thank you," Flame said, helping him up.

He was relieved. He had beaten his rival. Ember was now securely his. Zaze was no longer in the running, and he could have Ember again to himself. All he needed to do now was to confess to her, and wait for her reply. It was that simple now. Cyril's advice actually worked.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author.**


	16. Chapter 16 Observe

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

* * *

Chapter 16

Observe

"I didn't know you were so strong Flame!" Ember said.

"Well, I have my moments," said Flame smugly, puffing out his chest slightly.

Cynder chuckled, and leaned closer to Zaze. She spoke in a hushed tone, to avoid getting heard by the other two. "Knowing you, you wouldn't have given up THAT easily."

"You know me too well," Zaze replied.

"Then why?"

Zaze sighed. "It's a long explanation. But basically, I wanted him to win. I wanted him to have the courage to tell Ember about his feelings."

Cynder smiled cheekily. "Always the bridge eh?"

"That's my game," he replied back.

"Since when did you get so strong Flame?" Ember asked.

"I train whenever I can," he replied back sheepishly.

As the two dragons chatted about, Zaze sat next to Cynder and relaxed.

"Well, what are we going to do now…?"

"What are you guys up to?"

The four of them stopped talking, as their heads snapped to the direction of the voice. The doors had slid opened, and in came in the legendary purple dragon. Spyro had a smile on his face as he was walking over to them. Zaze smiled, seeing the dragon. Then he realized something.

"Where's your brother?"

"Huh?" Spyro's brow rose. "Oh, Sparx?"

"Yeah, where is he?" Zaze asked.

Cynder was about to stop Spyro, but failed to do so. "At Cynder's room."

He blinked realizing what he had said. Cynder just face palmed and shook her head. Flame cocked his head to the side. "Why would he be at Cynder's room?"

Flame had a point. Zaze however crossed his arms. "If he's at Cynder's room, where did Cynder sleep?"

There was an awkward silence as the question hung in the air. Spyro's mind was racing. Dang it; he did again. He was running his mouth without thinking properly. He was doing that a lot lately. Cynder however just sighed and walked over to Spyro. She placed a paw on his shoulder and looked at him.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Zaze asked, a mischievous smile forming across his face.

"I guess the jig is up…" said Cynder to Spyro. "And it was because you ran your mouth again," she said jokingly.

"Sorry," Spyro said scratching his head sheepishly.

"I'll do it then," Cynder said. She turned around and faced the three. Zaze still had his smile whilst Ember and Flame just stared curiously.

"Where I slept?" She asked. "I slept at Spyro's room."

Zaze blinked, knowing full well what that meant.

"OH MY GOSH!" he blurted out. The sudden revelation caught the four dragons around him by surprise.

"Since when did you two become a couple! And didn't tell me about it!" he shouted, a half angry half joking expression.

"Wait, the two of you are a couple now!" Ember asked, looking at Spyro and Cynder.

They both answered in unison. "We are."

"Congratulations!" she said happily. "I'm so happy for you two!"

"Wow!" Flame said.

He then glanced at the side to see Ember walk up the two and talk to them. Zaze was right. He was right all along. Spyro wasn't the apple of Ember's eye. If he was, she wouldn't be taking this news so lightly and happily. She'd be downright depressed, seeing as the dragon she loved was now gone from her grasp. Or she could have been broken inside and just keeping a tough façade right now. But the latter possibility seemed highly unlikely. The smile on her face and the expression her body carried were all genuine. She truly was happy for the two. And that in turn made Flame happy.

0 = 0 = 0

"Basically, you're thinking that the apple of her eye is Spyro?"

Flame dropped his head, his tail sagging and was lazily dragged across the floor. "Yes." He sighed. "And you know I can't compete with that kind of competition; especially now that Spyro's in sight."  
Zaze scratched his chin. This was a tough pickle. Thinking positively, he patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Don't give up."

Flame looked at him. "Huh?"

"I mean, if you love her that much, you should tell her how you feel so that at least she'll know how you feel about her."

"And what good would that do? I'd just be downright rejected anyway…"

Zaze shook his head. "You're too pessimistic. So what if she rejects you? At least you told her how you felt. There are always other dragonesses out there waiting for someone like you. Ember should feel lucky. Someone's already here waiting for her."

0 = 0 = 0

This time, Flame was going to follow his advice.

0

He groaned feeling himself come to. Sparx rubbed his cheek, and then rubbed his eyes to get the sand away. The morning sun had woken him up, and he yawned, rolling over to his side. However, he found what he was looking for, no longer there. The usual familiar lump his hand would normally rest upon wasn't there. Then the thoughts came back to him. He sighed.

Cynder was sleeping with Spyro now. And Spyro had, for a simpler choice of words, kicked him out and had him stay in Cynder's room instead. They wanted to have privacy and all that mushy stuff. Then again, Sparx wasn't mad or angry at him. He had all the right to ask for that and even more. He was just a bit annoyed. Just a tiny bit. He always thought of himself as the 'older' one between the two of them. But now…Spyro was already one milestone ahead of him. Now…he had a girlfriend.

The thought made him feel bad about himself. Then again, it was his choice to begin with. To stay with Spyro at Warfang had its consequences. He was the only dragonfly around there, so the possibility of him 'hooking up' with anyone else was clearly far off.

Thinking of his personal life was the least of his interests, so he wanted something to do to keep his mind off it. Stretching his wings, he decided to eat some breakfast. As he flew down the halls, he happened to pass by an open courtyard. Taking a look, he was surprised to find Flare there, standing idly. The newly appointed Fire Guardian was silent, and it seemed like she was in deep thought.

"Hey, you okay?" he called out.

Flare's eyes opened, and she raised a brow. She looked around, as if looking from wherever the voice came from. Sparx rolled his eyes.

"Over here," he said. Flare looked ahead and saw him.

"Oh sorry, didn't see you there."

Sparx chuckled. "Dragons who aren't used to seeing a dragonfly tend to do that."

Flare cocked her head. "Aren't you…Spyro's…brother was it?"

"Yes, I am. His foster brother; you seem well informed even though we only met yesterday," he remarked.

"I have to be. It is my duty."

"It looks like someone's serious on their first day." Flare smiled. "What are you doing here anyway?" he asked her.

"I'm waiting for Volteer. The other guardians have told me that he will be the one to brief me of my duties," she replied.

"Volteer eh?"

"Yes. Have you seen him?"

"No. Is he running late?"

"Not necessarily; I've only just arrived here a few minutes ago."

"Hmm…normally he's the early bird. I wonder where he is." Sparx scratched his chin whilst Flare just idly tapped her paws on the ground. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

Flare shook her head. "No, I haven't. I wanted to be early so I skipped it."

Sparx blinked. "Dang, you are serious! But breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Don't do that."

Flare chuckled. "I'm being reprimanded by a dragonfly; this is surely turning out to be an interesting first day."

"Get used to it sister," Sparx smiled. "Anyways, good luck with your briefing or whatever, I'll see you around."

"Likewise."

As the dragonfly disappeared around the corner, Flare turned around. She wondered if something had happened to Volteer. But her thoughts were put to a halt, when the Guardian appeared into view. Volteer came trotting about, appearing at the opposite side of the courtyard. He had a sheepish smile on his face as he walked up to her. She raised a brow.

"Sorry for being late," he said. "Did I keep you waiting?"

"No," she shook her head. "You're never late. Did something come up?"

"I…uh…" Volteer scratched his head. "…overslept."

Flare looked at him skeptically. "You overslept? You never overslept…unless something kept you up. Did something happen?"

Volteer shook his head and smiled at her. "No, it's fine."

Flare however, just stared at him intently; she wanted to make sure if something was bothering the Electric Guardian or not.

"Really; it's nothing," he replied, waving his paws at her.

Flare calmed her gaze. "Okay then."

Volteer then sighed. "Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Uh, is it important?"

"We can discuss your duties over breakfast, if you haven't had breakfast yet."

"I guess we can do that."

"Let us go then," Volteer said with a smile.

0

Sparx flew down the halls of the Temple in relative silence. It was awfully quiet. Normally he would have come across someone by now. But the halls were rather empty, except for the occasionally passing mole that had duties to attend to in the Temple. Even the Dining Hall was empty, when he arrived.

"Where is everyone?" he asked himself, as he grabbed something to eat.

Munching down on a grape, he took another one, before flying out of the Dining Hall. He began to fly around, headed in no particular direction, when he happened to pass the Training Dojo. He heard the familiar sounds of training, along with the sounds of other voices. Maybe that was where everyone went.

The doors slid open and he flew in. He was greeted with a familiar sight.

Spyro was standing at the center of the dojo, across from Flame who was flexing and stretching. Zaze, Ember and Cynder were seated at the sides. Ember was cheering Flame whilst Cynder for Spyro. Zaze just sat there, watching with a half interested stare. Wondering what was going on, Sparx flew next to Zaze and sat on his shoulder.

"Hey Zaze," he greeted.

"Oh Sparx! Finally! Someone I can talk to!"

Sparx chuckled as he stared at the scene before him. "What's going on?"

"Well, Spyro just asked Flame to spar with him."

"Oh really now?"

"Yep."

Sparx raised a brow. "Who do you think is going to win?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"Well…" Zaze stared at the two dragons before him. Cynder and Ember had stopped talking now to realize that Sparx had joined them.

"I'd say…Flame."

"Flame?" Sparx asked, a bit surprised.

"You think Flame's going to win?" asked Ember.

"No way; just because this is a sparring match, doesn't mean that Spyro's going to go easy on him."

"I didn't mean it in that sort of manner," said Zaze. "Flame has a fair chance against Spyro. No offense Cynder, but in technicality, Flame is even stronger than you are."

"W-what!" Cynder asked, feeling her pride get hit a bit. "Why do you say that?"

"Because of two things; one Flame actually studied and trained."

"Oh yeah, that's right. We did kind of had to do that since the Elders required us to master our elements," said Ember.

"And the other thing is?" Sparx asked.

"I'm going to go out with a guess here but, you two didn't learn much in terms of fighting did you?"

Cynder sighed. "I…guess you could say that. I mean, we were taught the basics by the Guardians but most of the time we had to improvise. We didn't exactly have the time to sit down and study. There was war mind you."

"Understandable. And that is why. You and Spyro's fighting style are unorthodox. Based on experience and experimentation; it's an advantage and a disadvantage."

"How so?" Cynder asked.

"Well, since it's based on experience and experimentation, you can easily adapt to any situation. You're used to it, so to speak. But, at the same time, you'll be doing this in terms of trial and error. You won't know what works until you try it. Something Flame doesn't need to do. Since he actually studied, he knows what to do and when to do it. The right defense for the right offense."

Sparx stared at Zaze in disbelief. "Zaze…why do you sound so smart all of a sudden?"

Sparx had a point. The three of them stared at him, curiosity on their faces. Zaze just chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed under the sudden spotlight.

"I don't know. You asked me a question, so I answered it. I just told you guys what I observed and hypothesized."

Cynder however just sighed, feeling a bit sad. "And here I thought I was actually strong and capable…"

"Cheer up Cynder, I'll help you train," said Ember, patting her on the shoulder.

"You will?"

"I will. Now cheer up! The match is about to start."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**I would like to take this moment, to thank you guys. As of this chapter, I am reaching a milestone. I am at 99 reviews, currently, and no doubt will break the 100 review mark. Thank you so much for making me reach that mark. It makes me realize that this is another successful story, completely topping off The Blue Dragon for me. I would like to thank you guys, my readers, for taking the time and delving into my fanfic. Keep those reviews coming folks. That's what practically drives me to keep on going. **

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author.**


	17. Chapter 17 Accident

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

* * *

Chapter 17

Accident

Volteer burped discreetly, as he finished gulping down a glass of water. Across from him, Flare finished off the last piece of her banana with one bite. The two Guardians had a relatively quiet breakfast, as they enjoyed each other's company. As they had breakfast, Volteer didn't forget what was on the agenda.

"Do you understand it all?" he asked.

"I never knew you guys did so much," said Flare.

"Such is the task of a Guardian. Especially once everything is reverted back to normal, and we start teaching again; that's when it starts to get hectic."

Flare sighed. "I don't think I can do this…"

Volteer patted her at the shoulder. "You can Flare," he looked her in the eye. "You've been in tougher situations than this one. And I can attest to that," he said with a smile.

"I guess you could say that. But you handle stress better than I do."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, for one thing, you can keep your cool under pressure. And, you can still think of a full-proof plan when need be." Flare shook her head. "I'm still grateful for what you did. Without you, I wouldn't be here right now."

Volteer blushed a bit. "Well, I was just doing what I needed to do. My partner was in danger, so I had to do everything I could to get you out of that situation."

"All the while, you looked dashing while you did so," she said, looking at him intently.

Volteer smiled. "Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

Flare nodded, and watched him walked away.

0

Back at the Training Dojo, things were beginning to heat up; literally. The match had started, and it started with a fiery start. Both of the dragons, Spyro and Flame, charged at each other, launching fireballs in unison. It hit midway, causing a small explosion, along with smoke in the process. Both dodged the remaining fireballs, and quickly thought of another tactic. Flame thinking quickly, immediately came up with the best possible projectile, that wasn't that easy to dodge. Calculating the right trajectory, he aimed his maw up, and launched one big fireball, that went straight up in the air.

"Uh, I don't think that was the best move," said Cynder.

"I have to disagree, that is the best move he can do," said Ember.

"Why? I mean, why aim it up? It's not like it's going to hit any—"

But Cynder was cut off mid-sentence, as the fireball did something he didn't expect. Slowing down as it reached the top of its arc, Flame shot a smaller fireball at it causing it to explode, lighting up the entire ceiling of the Dojo. Out came smaller looking fireballs that seemed to rain down onto Spyro's position. Spyro looked up just in time to see the fireballs come crashing down on him. He needed to think of something and he needed to think of something fast.

He needed a shield; a cover to protect himself from the raining projectiles. He needed something strong; something hard; something like rock.

Earth.

Realizing this, he immediately concentrated and smacked his paws on the ground. The land before him shook and out came a slab of rock that arched itself on top of him. It covered himself just fast enough, to protect him from the oncoming fireballs. Spyro breathed a momentary sigh of relief. Terrador had not taught him that technique, but it was something he came up with on the fly. It clearly showed he still didn't have full mastery of his element. He needed more training; unlike Flame.

"Where did that come from? I've never seen Spyro do that before!" said Cynder.

"Most dragons pull off defensive techniques they normally can't do when pressured. It's instinctive," said Zaze.

Flame smirked. He was on the offense, and Spyro was on the defense. He was at a disadvantage. He never liked being on the defense. And Flame was going to keep it that way. Flame charged and focused all of his elemental power into a funnel. It sparked and began to engulf his body in fire. His comet dash was easily going to break that wall of rock Spyro used as a shield.

Peering in the corner, Spyro saw Flame's comet dash. He needed to get out of there if he didn't want to get hit by it. He rolled to the side, right on cue as Flame collided with the rock wall. It disintegrated, leaving nothing but dust. Spyro saw Flame smirk at him. That was when it dawned on Spyro. He was fighting a losing a battle. If he doesn't go on the offensive, at one point Flame will be able to hit him, and it'll all be over.

And one thing Spyro didn't want…was to lose.

He knew what he needed to do. This tactic would surely put him in the offensive. Focusing all his elemental power, he summoned forth his strongest power. Flame watched warily as Spyro began to glow a purple aura and radiate pure energy. He didn't know what technique this was, but he was surely going to guard against it. Cynder however realized what Spyro was doing. And he realized the consequences of it.

"Spyro! What are you doing!" she shouted. "You're going to kill him!"  
"What!" Zaze exclaimed. "What is he going to do?"  
"Spyro's going to use Convexity! Flame won't survive that."

"HE'S GOING TO WHAT!" Sparx exclaimed.  
Ember realized that Flame was in a dangerous position. "Flame! Get out of there!"

But it was too late.

Spyro had finished charging up Convexity and let it all out. A stream of Convexity emitted out of his maw, headed straight to Flame. Thinking of the best defense, Flame summoned his strongest shield. He smacked both of his paws in the ground, creating a crack on the floor. Out came from the cracks were jets of fire that began to form a protective wall before him. It was literally a firewall.

The Convexity beam collided head on with the firewall overpowering it completely. The firewall strained but inevitably dissipated under the constant stream of energy. Flame gasped as the Convexity beam shot through the firewall. Out came the shout of excruciating pain as it hit him dead on. This was going out of paws, way too fast for them too handle. If they didn't do anything, Flame would be disintegrated into nothing.

Thinking fast, Zaze decided to do the best thing he could do. And that was to get Flame out of the line of fire. He didn't exactly want his best friend to die, now did he? But he had to do it in a fashion that wouldn't get him hit from the crossfire. To do that, he had to be fast. He smiled. That was one thing he could do. Summoning all his energy, he channeled all his elemental power down to his body, spreading it evenly across his muscles. He momentarily shivered, his muscles jump starting at the sudden rush of power.

Cynder and Ember watched as Zaze began to glow a slight hue of yellow, before electricity began to crackle around him. In a blink of an eye, he charged, headed straight to Flame. The two were taken by surprise. The speed he had was incredible. But Cynder quickly regained her composure. She realized what he was going to do, and she knew she had to do something too. She ran towards Spyro, going to put a stop to him.

Not bothering to even stop, she rammed him at the side, immediately cutting off the flow of Convexity. This in turn enabled Zaze to quickly snatch Flame, and get him off to the side. He and Ember quickly began to look over him, and saw the extents of the wound.

"H-how did you move so fast!" Ember exclaimed.

"Not now," Zaze replied, putting Flame down. "I'll explain later. Right now, Flame needs help."

"I-uh-okay." Then she gasped, seeing the extent of his injuries. "Oh my gosh…"

Flame looked battered and torn apart. The firewall didn't look like it had helped at all. His scales looked completely burnt off, and the smell of charred flesh was clearly evident on him. His underbelly had burn marks all over, coupled with some open wounds that were singed around the edges. Flame looked like a burnt dragon; literally. His scales even blackened from the soot.

"We need to get him some help, and we need to right now."

"I'll go ahead and inform the Guardians! You two bring him there." Sparx said as he flew off as fast as his wings could carry him.

Cynder on the other hand stood up and looked at Spyro who was panting on the floor. She stared in disbelief at him, her thoughts racing. The purple dragon on the other hand looked confused and dazed. He turned to face her, only to find anger, mixed in with disappointment and a slight tinge of fear.

"What is wrong with you Spyro?" she asked, before turning around.

Spyro watched as Cynder, Zaze and Ember left with Flame, leaving him alone there on the floor of the Training Dojo.

0

"What on earth happened anyway?"

The Guardian asked, as he finished up bandaging Flame. Cyril wiped the sweat off his brow as he looked at his work. They didn't have enough red gems to sustain Flame's injuries, so he had to improvise. With the help of Terrador, he managed to create a sort of salve which consisted of plants and herbs they luckily had in store at the cupboard. The salve helped the burn wounds, as he covered them up with bandages. Flame looked like a mummy right now. His entire torso was covered with bandages, and he didn't look like he was moving anytime soon. Fortunately, the Convexity blast didn't hit his head as much as it hit his body, so his head only sustained lesser wounds compared to the rest.

Cyril turned around to face the three. Terrador had stepped out, wanting to have a 'talk' with Spyro after what he had done. The four looked mentally worn out. Cynder looked distressed, whilst Ember stared caringly at Flame, who was sleeping peacefully Sparx sat at the table, rubbing his temples. Zaze on the other hand was twitching every now and then, a side effect of the technique he had used earlier to save Flame.

"How's the tonic I gave you?" Cyril asked, turning to face Zaze.

Zaze looked liked he was going to barf. "It tastes horri-horrible…" Zaze's twitching was messing with his ability to talk.

"It should. It has herbs in it. That means its working." Zaze just rolled his eyes, and groaned. "It's a good thing Volteer had done that sort of thing before. If he hadn't, I wouldn't know how to treat it accordingly."

Cyril shook his head. "Anyways, can you tell me exactly what happened again?"

Cynder sighed. "It's just what we told you…"

"And that is?" The Ice Guardian inquired.

"We were having a simple sparring match originally. Flame versus Zaze. It was just fun and games…" Ember said, walking over to Flame.

Zaze sat on the floor. "Flame won and that was that. That was when Spy-Spyro came in, then Sparx."

"When I got there, the match had started. It was another simple sparring match, turning in favor for Flame," Sparx added. He then shook his head. "After that, I don't know what happened. For some reason, Spyro just decided to suddenly use Convexity like that."

"Flame tried to block, but inevitably and not surprisingly, failed. The Convexity blast was too strong and it…overwhelmed him," Cynder finished.

"Afterwards, we're here where we are no-now," Zaze added as a twitchy afterthought.

"And you left Spyro back at the Training Dojo?" Cyril asked.

"Yes. We needed to get Flame some fir-first aid immediately," Zaze answered.

"And that was a great idea," Cyril commented. "If you had arrived about five minutes less, more serious internal damage would have been dealt to Flame."

"So…is he okay now?" Ember asked, looking at Cyril.

"More or less; the wounds have been cleaned thoroughly; the salve is working effectively and luckily, the bleeding has stopped now. Other than the fact that he won't be able to move by himself for a few days, he'll be fine. However…"

"However…what?" Sparx asked.

"We've run out of medical supplies here at the infirmary," Cyril said, glancing at the empty cabinets and drawers. "I'll have to go out and do some supply runs to replenish them. I even need to start stockpiling red gems again—my gosh this Temple is under equipped—that means I won't be here for a while. And I'm the only dragon here that knows medical training. Can I entrust one of you to look after Flame for a while, while he's recovering?"

"I'll do it," said Ember wholeheartedly and without second thought. Her decision was partly made after she remembered what Zaze had told her.

0 = 0 = 0

"Why did you ask me out anyway?"

Zaze smiled. "I'm glad you asked. But before I answer that, what do you think about Flame?"

"Flame?" Ember was surprised at the sudden question. But nonetheless, she answered.

"Well…he's…I think of him as a good friend. We've been together quite a lot. He's been there for me, and I've been there for him when we needed each other. I trust him more than anyone else."

"I see."

"Why do you ask?"

"Well…I think he likes you."

0 = 0 = 0

She and Flame had always been together, through thick and thin. He had always cared, watched her back and had always been there for her. They were the closest and best of friends among her friends. And it would seem Flame saw more to it than that. It was high time she returned the favor. Maybe even confirm if what Zaze had said was true. She didn't think that Zaze had lied to her. But instead, she wanted to hear it straight; straight from the dragon's mouth. After that, she'd just let fate decide what happens next.

"Okay then. Let me just go get a scroll. I need to list this down," said Cyril.

Zaze sighed, watching Cyril leave. Cynder just scratched her head. "I think I'm going to go lie down. I-I can't handle this right now…"

Zaze nodded. He glanced at Sparx, who seemed to be doing the same.

"I think I'm going to take a nap. Today's activities just got me too worked up…"

Sparx and Cynder left the room together, headed to their own quarters. Feeling equally tired, Zaze left the Guardians' Room. He wasn't sleepy; he just wanted sit down and rest somewhere.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**For those of you are wondering, YES, there is a canonical pairing for Zaze. However, introducing said dragon, would be rather cliche. And you know me, I try to avoid cliches whenever I can, as much as possible. I try my best to make my stories unique, and following the usual 'formula' isn't the best way. I mean seriously, would you find it interesting, if the main character got himself hooked up to someone SO EARLY into the story? We haven't even figured out who Zaze is yet, and now we expect him to be paired with someone? **

**Food for thought.**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

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	18. Chapter 18 Vision of the Future

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 18

Vision of the Future

Zaze walked down the halls, tipping slightly left and right every now and then. The tonic that Cyril had given him was working, since the interval of his twitches was getting longer. He made a mental note to only use that technique during drastic situations. The consequences afterwards were bearable, but rather annoying. But the thought that he had managed to save Flame with that, made it easier on his mind. Now though, he needed to rest. It put a lot of strain on his muscles, and he just wanted to lie down for a while. As he walked, he passed down the empty halls of the Temple as well as passing by empty rooms and whatnot. One of the doors of the rooms was ajar. Now, normally he wouldn't give a fleeting thought about it. Once, he asked what the rooms were for and the Guardians replied it were classrooms; some were extra quarters for students. It would be common sense to think they were empty, since the Temple was still going under renovations, per se.

But as he passed by one specific room, something caught his attention. He heard something bubbling.

"Hmm?" His curiosity was piqued. Deciding there was no harm, he peeked in.

The room was fairly empty, except for what seemed like a circular object embedded on the floor in the middle of the room. The bubbling sound was rather faint, but he was definitely sure it was coming from here. This didn't look like a classroom at all or a bedroom for that. Zaze wondered what exactly the purpose of this room was. Stepping in, he cautiously looked around, as he walked towards the circular object. There was a window at the side, that led sunlight and wind in. But aside from that, it was really empty. As he came nearer, he saw that the circular object was actually a bowl carved in the floor. It was filled with an odd looking liquid that was bubbling calmly. It was colorless and odorless. It was a basically a mini pool. But a pool of what, he wondered. And the reason it was bubbling was beyond him. From the looks of it, it was just bubbling by itself. It wasn't bubbling because it was boiling or anything like that. His curiosity was getting the better of him, so he decided to ask what this room was for at the Guardians.

But before he could turn around and do so, something happened.

The bubbling liquid, which was bubbling calmly, began to bubble violently. Zaze could only watch as the liquid seemed to take on a life of its own. It swirled and spun eerily in the pool. He took a step back, wary of what might happen. And then as fast it happened, it suddenly stopped. But along with it, light seemed to be radiating from it. It was glowing. Cautiously, he approached it, before peering down the liquid. The bubbling had stopped, along with the swirling. The watery surface was flat and clear.

Clear enough that you could see the bottom.

And what he saw surprised him.

He saw Warfang. He saw it in shambles. Fires, destruction and debris was everywhere. Sounds of shouting and screams filled his ears as he stared at the moving images before him. The next image was of a creature. It was a monster he had never seen before. There were a lot of them, rampaging and destroying everything. And there were dragons as well, fighting the monsters. It was as if a war was going on. It looked like the dragons were winning against the tide of monsters. But all had change, when the next image flashed. It was a dragon.

But it was no ordinary dragon.

It was a dragon engulfed in a black aura dark as darkness itself. The only thing you could see was his eyes. And they were white and glowed eerily as he stared at the horizon filled with destruction. A stare, filled with the strongest murderous intent there ever was. It sent chills down Zaze's spine, making his legs shake a little. Never had he seen someone so intent with the desire to kill. The dragon shouted, and out came a wave of more monsters behind him. It was quite clear who he was. He was the leader. And he was leading the invasion that would annihilate Warfang and all of its inhabitants.

And just like that, the images stopped. Zaze reeled back as he felt himself go back to reality. He stumbled down to the floor, his head feeling a bit nauseous from the vision he had seen. What on earth was that? That was when he noticed his breathing. He was panting; sweat rolled down his brows and the side of his face. He was quite worked up. His attention was diverted when he noticed that the glowing from the pool had stopped. Standing back up, he peered back down, only to find that the pool was lifeless. He stared at it for a few moments, checking to see if flashes of images would happen again.

But nothing; whatever it was, it was over.

"What in the world…?" he asked as he tapped his face with his paws. He was awake. Clearly wide awake, and visibly shaken from what had transpired.

He didn't know what to think. His thoughts were scattered, and Zaze was confused. Puzzled and even flabbergasted. He didn't know where to start. What kind of vision was that? Was he dreaming? Was he hallucinating? Or was it something else? Was it something rather important that he should be aware of? And then that was when it happened. Something at the back of his mind clicked, and made him remember a key detail.

0 = 0 = 0

"Enough of this trivial talk; let us get serious. The main reason I have summon you here is because the Dragon Realms is in danger."  
Danger? This is serious then. "And you're telling me this…why?"  
"It's because, Zaze, you are—"

However, Zaze cut him off before he could speak. He had a pretty good idea what he was going to say.

"It's because I'm the only one who can stop this impending disaster that if I don't, we will all die and the world will end. Is that what you're trying to say?"

Ignitus looked surprised. He must have taken the words right out of his mouth.

"More or less."

Zaze scoffed.

"No!" The Chronicler looked stunned at his sudden outburst. Anyone would. "I'm not buying this 'you're the dragon of destiny' or whatever it is they call it. Sorry, but I think you've summoned the wrong dragon. I think you should have tried Spyro. He's more cut out for this. He IS the Legendary Purple Dragon."

0 = 0 = 0

'The Dragon of Destiny'…

Zaze sighed as the pieces began to click.

"Was this…what the Chronicler was trying to tell me?" he asked himself.

The impending doom…the image of Warfang getting overrun by the monsters led by that dark dragon…the destruction, violence and brutality…was Zaze the hero that would save them all? He doubted it. He wasn't hero material. And Zaze knew that. Spyro was the one for the job. Besides maybe he was over thinking this.

Spyro would always be there to save them.

Right?

0

Volteer was silently mulling over some ancient looking books at the library. He was humming to himself as he arranged them in the order they were supposed to be in. He was basically preparing the library for usage when the students came. Normally, it was the Fire Guardian's role, Ignitus that did this. But since his passing, he was entrusted with this task to do. As he placed the books back on the shelves, the silence was broken when the sound of the doors opening came into his ears.

"Hm?"

He peered at the corner to find his close friend, Zaze, entering the library. Zaze wasn't the reader type. What was he doing in here? Placing the last of the books, he made his way towards him. He peered at the side of the shelves to find Zaze looking at the books, a look of wariness in his face.

"Uh Zaze?"

The young dragon jumped, clearly caught off guard. "Who—oh it's just you."

Zaze breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry," Volteer apologized. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Uh…" Zaze bit his lip.

The reason he went to the library was to find out what was that bubbling liquid, he found at that room earlier. He figured there must be a book somewhere in there that talked about it. And it was a fairly good guess. He wanted to know if that liquid somehow caused him to see those images.

"I was just looking for something…"

"And what might that be? I can help you with that." Volteer sat on the floor. "I've been arranging these books for hours now."

"Well…"

Books were a great source of knowledge, but it took a longer time to understand. So he went for the next best thing.

"Maybe you can help me. I just wanted a question answered anyway."

"That is?"

Zaze scratched his chin. "Do you know that room that has that pool of water on the floor?"

"Are you referring to the room with the Pool of Visions?"

"Is that what it's called?"

"Yes. It's a special room that can only be found in Dragon Temples. What about it?'

"Well…what exactly is it for?" Zaze asked curiously.

Volteer raised a brow, wondering where this was going, but still answered.

"The Pool of Visions is a special room that only specific dragons can utilize. The water there is special."

"Special how?"

"It reacts to the dragons in the area. You see, the Pool of Visions is a special room since the water there can allow specific dragons to see visions: the dreams, thoughts, and memories of others and to see what is happening in places far away. In some cases, they may be able to see the future. However, only certain dragons can utilize it. You can tell, since the water begins to react when he/she is in the area. For normal dragons+ such as me, it does not, thus retaining its normal state. Amongst the four of us Guardians, the late Ignitus was the only one who had the ability to use the Pool of Visions. As far as we know, we know no one else that has the ability to use it."

Zaze nodded, trying to digest all that information. It overwhelmed him, but he clearly got the gist of it. What he experienced really happened. It wasn't a dream or anything that he hallucinated. But instead, he experienced seeing a vision, at the Pool of Visions. That only meant one thing.

He had the ability to use the Pool of Visions.

But that also gave way to another nerve wracking revelation.

What he saw wasn't clearly a thought. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't even a memory. And it definitely wasn't something that was happening elsewhere. So that only left one thing.

He saw the future.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Serious plot development, is serious.**

**Come on you guys, give Alec some credit. He's practically the co-writer of this story.**

**Notice for user named Storm dragon Eclipse:**

**Please avoid "spamming" the reviews section with your RPs. Or else I'll be forced to block you.**

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**Please take some time to R&R.**

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	19. Chapter 19 Closure

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 19

Closure

"So…" Volteer raised a brow. "Why were you asking about the Pool of Visions?"

Zaze shook his head. He snapped back into reality, his train of thought getting derailed. He still had his doubts, but the last thing he wanted right now was to cause panic. He needed evidence to prove to everyone, even to himself, that what he saw WAS the future. He needed to keep this a secret for now.

"No reason," he said. He hoped that Volteer would buy his acting skills. "It just kind off popped into my head. I was passing by there earlier so you know…"

Volteer stared at him, as if trying to discern if he was hiding something. After a few seconds of scrutinizing, he eased up. Whatever it must've been, Zaze would tell him when he feels the time is right.

"Okay," Volteer relaxed. "If there's anything bothering you, you can always tell me."

"I'll make a mental note of that," Zaze replied.

After their conversation, Volteer turned around and proceeded to go back to the shelf he was at earlier.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Zaze curiously asked.

"I am arranging the books in the library for future use for students. Normally, it is the task assigned to the Fire Guardian."

"Then why isn't the Fire Guardian here?"

"Because I assigned her a different task."

Zaze raised a brow. "Why go out of the norm all of a sudden?"

"Is there something wrong with that?" Volteer counter asked, facing Zaze.

"Not necessarily; unless there's a hidden agenda."

"Are you insinuating I have an agenda?"

"I am not. However, I do think you have a reason for going easy on her."

"Are you saying I like her?" Volteer blurted out.

Zaze blinked. He didn't expect that to be said out loud by Volteer. Even Volteer was surprised at what he said. Well, leaning onto shock more than surprised.

"You actually like her?" Zaze inquired.

"I-I…" Volteer stammered. "…forget I said anything."

"You actually do like her, huh?" Zaze said. "And here I was thinking it was a one sided thing…"

Volteer perked up. "What?"

"You two were great partners together. You developed a strong relationship and became good friends. But I think she sees you more than a friend." Zaze smiled. "She likes you Volteer."

Volteer shook his head. He stared at the window, as if trying to see a distant land far away. "I don't think…" He sighed. "I can reciprocate."

"Why?"

He seemed lost in memories for a moment. There was a short silence before he answered.

"I don't want to love anyone again. I don't want to feel the pain of losing the dragons I truly hold close to my heart."

Zaze looked at Volteer. It was quite evident. The Electric Guardian was still hurting. Death of a loved one can take a great toll on oneself. But this wasn't the way to go. Shunning everyone out is the worst possible thing you can do to a heart that needs love and comfort.

"Do you think this is what she would've wanted?" Volteer looked at him. "For you to mope around; clam up and shun everyone out?"

Volteer remained silent and instead looked at the floor. "She would have wanted you to be happy. She would have wanted you to live life to the fullest…to move on."

And there was silence. Zaze sat on his haunches and looked at Volteer. He let his words sink into him. He knew he had a point. Volteer as well knew this. He wasn't dumb. He was just…scared. She was his first love. She was the first dragoness he ever gave his heart to. And the emotional pain he felt when she was gone was agonizing. For the first time, he truly realized what it meant to be alone. He was just…traumatized from the experience. He didn't want to ever feel that again.

He looked at Zaze who was just calmly looking at him. He even wiped his face. He had begun to cry without him realizing it.

"To move on…? You say it like it's the easiest thing in the world."

"Yes. Because we're here for you; your friends; you're not alone Volteer. Always remember that."

The Electric Guardian smiled wryly. "How do you always seem to know the right words?"

Zaze chuckled. "You could say…it's a talent of mine."

Volteer chuckled, and then, pulled Zaze into a hug. He was surprised by this, but nonetheless hugged him back.

"Thank you Zaze…" Volteer said, releasing him.

"For what?"

"I feel…closure now. You're right. She wouldn't want me to be like this."

Zaze just smiled at him. "What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know…" Zaze raised a brow. "I guess…talk to Flare. We never really had the chance to…catch up with each other."

"Talking is always the best start."

"It is."

0

The last thing he could remember was a bright purple flash. He didn't know what hit him. But when it did, he lost consciousness. He was floating back and forth for a while; in and out of reality. And when he came to, the memories as well began to flood back into him. Flame groaned as he opened his eyes. His vision was blurred, but at least it wasn't gone. The first thing he saw when it cleared was the color pink.

He immediately associated it to one dragoness.

It was Ember.

Ember was standing at the side of a desk, and seemed rather busy. She was arranging some items that were taking her full concentration. Flame focused his eyes and saw that they were bandages. She was cutting them up with her claws and neatly stacking them. Whatever they were for it was clearly obvious she needed a lot of them. He groaned as he shifted, to get a better view of her. The sound he made however caught her attention. She turned her head, and a look of relief washed over her face.

"Flame! You're awake!" she said, walking towards him. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better…" he replied.

Now that she had asked him, that was when he noted what exactly he was feeling. His entire sides felt a sort of stinging pain. His body felt heavy, and he could feel pain in some areas when he wanted to move them. He felt thirsty; his throat was parched. A part of his tail also felt numb. He must have been sleeping on it by accident. Overall, he was pretty okay.

"That's good to hear," she replied.

"Where am I anyway?" he asked, looking around.

Ember smiled. "You're at the infirmary."

Flame's brows furrowed. "This Temple has an infirmary."

Ember giggled. "It does, Flame. Without it…" she trailed. She sighed as she seated herself on the floor.

"I'm just glad you're okay."

"Well, I am too," Flame said, trying to stand up. But he ended up grimacing as his body flinched. He was in no condition to be moving around yet. Ember instinctively reacted and gently pushed him back down.

"You're in no condition to be moving around, Flame. You need to rest."

"Do I have to?"

"You need to."

"Aw man…" Flame sighed, resting back down the bed. "What happened anyway?"

The next few minutes were spent with Ember retelling him what had transpired. How Spyro had struck him with Convexity, and knocked him out. How they transported him to the infirmary.

"So it was Convexity huh…?"

"Yep; Terrador told us that Spyro would be given a strong scolding and punishment. That move was never meant to harm friends."

"Why'd he do it then?" Flame asked curiously.

"I don't know. Terrador's talking to him right now."

"I see…"

There was a moment's silence between them. Ember just felt contented to stare at Flame.

"Uh Ember…?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"No…why?"

"Why are you staring at me then?" Flame asked, blinking at her. He felt self conscious, and even had a slight blush on his face. Ember was staring at him. He didn't know what to think. Was there something on his face?

Ember blinked, realizing what she was doing.

"Oh, uh, sorry," she said, shaking her head out of embarrassment. "I just…err…never mind."

Flame raised his brows. "What is it? Is there something you want to tell me?"

Ember sighed. This was it. This was her chance. If she wanted to ask him, this was the perfect chance. She inhaled to calm her fast beating heart. She could do this. It was simple. There was nothing nerve wracking about it. She just needed to say a few words. She mustered all the bravery she had in her, and then turned to face him.

"Flame?" she began.

"Yes?" Flame asked. The look on her face told him this was something serious. "What is it?"

"Do you like me?"

Flame blinked. His brows furrowed into a more confused look.

"Do I like you?" he asked. "Of course I do. You're my friend."

Ember shook her head. He misunderstood the question. "That's not what I meant."

"What do you mean then?"

Ember's cheeks blushed. "Flame, do you like me? As in…like me, like me?"

0

The Fire Guardian sighed.

She looked at the setting sun that was clear from the horizon. She never knew being a Guardian was so…boring. She had finished all her duties assigned to her by Volteer a couple of hours earlier on, and she was practically left with nothing to do. Then again, a Guardian taught dragons of their respective element, and since the Temple hasn't officially opened yet, she had a lot of free time. So here she was, just idly sitting and enjoying the setting sun that cast orange streaks across the sky.

She turned her head, just as she heard the sound of the Temple doors opening.

It was Cyril. And he seemed like he had business to do.

"Hey Cyril!" she called out.

"Oh Flare?" The Ice Guardian approached her. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing really…"

"I assume you've done all your duties then?" The Guardian asked curiously.

"Yes. I've watered the plants with the help of the moles. Check the food supplies with the moles as well. Read the letters we've received from Chief Prowlus which Chase delivered. And that's it. I've inquired earlier from Volteer if there was anything else left to do, and he told me there was none."

Cyril raised a brow. "You seem bothered. Is there something wrong?"

"Frankly Cyril, I am bored," the dragoness said with a sigh.

Cyril chuckled. "Well, if you want to, you can come with me. I have some errands to do."

Flare brightened. Finally, she had something to do.

"I would be delighted."  
"Great then; come, let us go."

And with that, the Fire and Ice Guardian headed down the stone steps, and into the streets of Warfang below.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

******I am sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I was unable to post it yesterday because our internet signal got cut off, since it was raining rather badly last night.  
**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	20. Chapter 20 Friend No More

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 20

Friend no More

"So Cyril, what are we going to do exactly?" Flare asked.

"Glad you asked Flare," the Ice Guardian replied. "We are going to the Gem Depot."

"Uh…" Flare thought for a moment. "Why are we going there exactly?"

"Our supplies of gems are running drastically low. It's high time we need to get a refill."

"Ah, I see," Flare replied.

The two continued on down the steps of the Temple, and before long they reached the city streets of Warfang. Moles, dragons and even some cheetahs were in the area, all minding there own business. Some were children, some were adults, carrying about in there lives.

"So Flare, how are you finding your new lifestyle now?" Cyril asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Honestly? Aside from the fact that I have a lot of free time, it's great. I've always wanted to do something important. And now that I am doing one of the most important things in the world, I'm practically living the dream." She sighed, looking up at the sky. "Mom and Dad would have been so proud."

"That's great to hear Flare," said Cyril smiling. "But you know there are some things you can do to pass the time."

Flare turned her head to look at him interested. "And those are?"

"Well, for one thing you can run these errands every now and then."

"Go on."

"There's also the library in the Temple. You can pass the time there by enveloping yourself in books."

Flare scratched her chin. She didn't think about that. "I'll make a mental note of that."

"Great. You can also socialize with dragons in the Temple. You'll find that they are eager to get to know you."

"They do?"

Cyril chuckled. "Of course they do. I'm guessing Zaze out of all of them."

"Zaze? As in that electric dragon?"

"Oh, so you've talked to him then?"

Flare remembered Zaze vividly. He was the one that figured out she had a liking to Volteer.

"More or less."

"And the last thing you could do is find a temporary apprentice."

"An apprentice?" Flare asked.

But Cyril didn't manage to answer her question. "Ah, here we are."

"What?"

Flare averted her eyes, and took a look around her surroundings. Their conversation had completely stopped her from noticing their traveling. Nonetheless, they were there at the Warfang Market. It was just like your any ordinary market, except cleaner and had a great deal of variety. There were allot of stalls in the area, each manned by dragon, cheetah or mole.

Flare took a look at the shop they were at and read the sign. In big bold letters, the words "Gem Depot" were written. It seemed to have been the only gem shop in the area and was the biggest. It was also the only shop to feature armed mole guards at the entrance. As Flare entered she saw that there were sacks upon sacks stacked at the corners of the shop that were filled with gems. She never saw a place filled with so many gems until now.

"Hello my dear good gentleman," Cyril greeted.

"Ah, Cyril," the shopkeeper greeted back. "What is it we can help you with?"

Cyril smiled. "We need our share of gems once again in the Temple."

The mole nodded. "Understood; I'll immediately send moles to deliver them as soon as possible."

"Thank you very much," Cyril smiled warmly at him. After that, the mole scurried away to the back area of the shop.

"Flare, let us go. We are done here."

Flare turned to face him, a bit surprised. "Already?"

"Yes. Business must always be conducted swiftly, but accurately."

A look of slight concern crossed Flare as she thought of how much Cyril had requested. "Do we even have the money to pay for the gems we requisitioned?"

Cyril chuckled. "Flare, you need not to worry."

"What? Why?"

"I'll explain outside."

The two dragons stepped outside, and Cyril stood in front of her.

"The gems we got are, in a simpler choice of words, free."

Flare stared at him. "Huh? Really?"

Cyril raised a brow in amusement. "You don't read that much do you? Anyways, it's more of an agreement. The Dragon Temple here in Warfang gets a share of the gems the moles mine. It's an agreement that dates back to the time of our ancestors. The moles did that as a sign of worship, since they revered the dragons."

"I guess I learn something new everyday," Flare smiled sheepishly.

"You do. And the gems they give us are more than enough, which is why we have enough gems to even spend," Cyril said.

"Wow, I never knew."

0

Volteer walked down the steps of the Temple. There was a spring in his step, and a new outlook on life. Zaze's words got to him and gave him closure. And that was all he ever needed. Now, he was heading to Warfang Market. Earlier he had ask a mole if he had seen Flare, and he replied that she was last seen with Cyril, heading to the Warfang Market. Volteer didn't know why she was with Cyril, but all that mattered was that she was at Warfang Market.

Rounding around the corner, he was greeted with the familiar sights and sounds of the central trading hub of the city. Finding Flare in this huge area would be a challenge. But it was something he could do. Scratching his chin, he gazed left and right and examined the dragons in the area.

There were some hatchlings with their parents walking around. Cheetahs were out and about, carrying supplies to their own stalls that were in the area. Moles were scurrying left and right, weaving their way swiftly across the crowd, wanting to get to their destination as fast as possible.

"Hey! Volteer, fancy meeting you here."

Volteer turned around and found the source of the voice. It was none other than Hunter, the Cheetah. Resting atop his left shoulder was his eagle, Chase.

"Hunter! What are you doing here?" Volteer replied happily.

"I could ask you the same question. I needed to get a new bow; how about you?"

"Me? Well, I was just looking for someone."

Hunter crossed his arms across his chest. Even his eagle looked at Volteer attentively. "Need any help?"

"I suppose so. I was looking for Flare, the new Fire Guardian."

"So I've heard. The Ascension Competition was quite the event. So this Flare, how did he perform? I wasn't there myself you see."

"She; actually."

Hunter turned to face Volteer in a surprised manner. "She? Wow. That's the first time I've heard of a female Guardian."

"It was a shocker for all of us."

Hunter's brow rose. A smirk began to tug at the side of his lips. "Why exactly are you looking for her again?"

Volteer faced him and noted his expression. "…Why are you staring at me like that?"

"No reason." The cheetah shrugged. "I was just curious."

"Well I was looking for her because—"

"Volteer!"

The cheetah and dragon turned their heads forward in sync. Right in front of them were the Ice Guardian and Fire Guardian.

"Flare!" Volteer smiled.

"Hunter!" Cyril greeted.

"Cyril!" Hunter replied back.

Chase just idly stared at the four; a look of boredom on his face.

"What are you two doing here?" Cyril asked, beaming.

Hunter crossed his arms again. "Well I was here on errand. As for Volteer however…"

The Electric Guardian had a slight blush on his face, which he tried to cover by scratching his cheeks. "I was looking for Flare."

"You were looking for me?" Flare asked. Volteer nodded. "Why?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he answered. He then cast glances towards Cyril and Hunter. "...privately. "  
"Oh I understand. " Flare turned to Cyril. "Cyril, I had great time accompanying you, but you see-"  
"I understand Flare. No need to apologize. In any case, I have other matters to attend to so if you'll excuse me."  
"See you later Cyril," Flare said as she waved him goodbye.  
As Cyril soon disappeared into the crowd Volteer turned to face her once again.  
"In any case, I believe you two haven't been introduced yet. Flare this is Hunter."  
Hunter smiled at her. "Nice to meet the new Fire Guardian in person. "  
"Nice to meet you too, Hunter," Flare replied.  
"Hunter here was one of the cheetahs that helped us against the Dark Master. He was the one that found Spyro and Cynder in the Catacombs," Volteer said.  
"Volteer, there is no need for you to introduce me in such a manner. Regardless," Hunter turned to face Flare. "I must go now. Chase over here is getting rather bored and wants to fly now. The sooner I get my bow the sooner he can fly again."

And with that Chase squawked in agreement.

"I understand. See you when we see you then." Flare bid the cheetah farewell and soon he disappeared into the crowd.  
"So Volteer, you wanted to see me?" Flare asked.  
"I did."  
"About what?"  
"Well..." Volteer scratched his chin. "I'll just say it simply. I wanted the two of us to hang out again; catch up I mean."

Flare blinked a bit surprise at his request. It was rather out of the blue. And the last time she checked, Volteer wanted to be by himself for a while. Regardless, to be able to finally talk her friend was an option she wanted to take.

"Oh sure!" she replied. "Glad to see that you're feeling talkative again."

0

"Do I like you?" he asked. "Of course I do. You're my friend."

Ember shook her head. He misunderstood the question. "That's not what I meant."

"What do you mean then?"

Ember's cheeks blushed. "Flame, do you like me? As in…like me, like me?"

Flame blinked. Where did this question come from all of a sudden? It had taken him by surprise. But then again, this was it. This was his chance. He was looking for a chance to tell him her feelings and just leave it to fate to see what she thought of him. And the chance presented itself. It was time to either take it or leave it. He sighed and looked her straight in the eye. His heart beat frantically in his chest as the words escaped his lips.

"Yes…I do, Ember. I like you. I like you…allot…"

There was tense silence in between the two of them. Flame was just waiting for the inevitable now. Was his heart going to be torn into pieces? Or was his long romantic dream finally going to come true? Either way, he was proud of himself. And he had to give credit where it was due. Without Zaze, he couldn't have summoned up the courage, or even the confidence to tell her the words.

Now all he needed to do was wait.

Ember was…she didn't know what she felt. She was shocked, surprised, scared, embarrassed; her feeling couldn't be described in words. Her best friend; the greatest friend she ever had. The friend that always stood by her side, when she needed him to be, just confessed his love for her. She never thought of Flame as more than a friend. But now that she looked back on it. Her thoughts however were derailed when Flame snorted.

"I know…it's kind of stupid…I shouldn't have said anything."  
Ember's brow rose. A question immediately formed in her mind. "Why…why didn't you tell me?"

"Because…" Flame averted his eyes. "You kept on talking about Spyro…how you wanted to meet him and everything…and also…you never noticed me. I didn't exactly want to get rejected." Flame bit his lip.

"But now I do."

Flame turned to look at her, and saw her seriousness. Ember was looking at him straight in the eye, a warm smile on her face. He was distracted, he didn't even notice the distance between there faces shortening.

"I notice you now Flame; more than ever."

Hearing those words, made Flame feel something inside him stir; it urged him on, and gave him the courage. The distance between them disappeared, and soon, their maws met. No words were said as the two shared their first kiss. In their minds, one thought was clear.

It felt right.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	21. Chapter 21 Headaches

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 21

Headaches

"So what made you change your mind?"  
Volteer's brow rose. "What do you mean?"  
"You I mean. You're suddenly feeling talkative all of a sudden."  
"Ah that, well...Zaze talked to me."  
"Zaze? That electric dragon? You talked to him?" Flare asked.  
"He help me get over my grief."  
Flare smiled. "He counseled you then?"  
"He's very good at that."  
"Well that's good to hear," said Flare. "It's great to see the good old perky Volteer that I know and love."  
"So how are you finding yourself in the position of being a Guardian?"  
Flare sighed. "Well...honestly, I'm kind off bored."  
"Bored?"  
"Well, let's see if I can help you with that."

0

The following hour consisted of Volteer basically hanging out with Flare. They had a great time. More for Volteer than Flare as it would seem. He had forgotten what it was like to just hang out and have fun. He always bothered himself with his Guardian duties and reading endless books to keep his mind busy, and not dwell on his depressing past. But, with the help of Zaze, he had managed to overcome and get over it. Maybe now, he'll have the courage to love again. He had never thought of Flare in a romantic way. But Zaze's words echoed in his mind.

"You two were great partners together. You developed a strong relationship and became good friends. But I think she sees you more than a friend. She likes you Volteer."

Now that he thought about it, Flare had always been his friend, for as long as he could remember. Even when he hooked himself up to someone else, she was always still there. They were great partners and the best of friends as well. Maybe it was high time he upgraded their relationship to something far better.

The two of them were now heading up the steps, leading to the Dragon Temple.

"Flare?" he asked.

"What is it?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Flare nodded. "Go ahead."

"Well, Flare, would you like to—"

Volteer was cut off, when all of a sudden, a voice interrupted him.

"Excuse me?"

"Huh?" Flare turned her head and saw a dragon behind him. He was an orange-scaled dragon that looked all too familiar.

"You're the Fire Guardian right?" he asked.

"She is," Volteer answered, a bit annoyed. He finally braved himself to ask her out on a date, and this dragon just ruined his momentum. "Who are you?"

"You do not recognize me? I feel a bit insulted."

Flare cocked her head to the side. "You do seem familiar."

"Of course I should. I'm Pyrus; the dragon you fought at the Ascension Competition."

It took a moment to register in Volteer and Flare's minds.

"Oh, I remember now!" Flare clapped her hands together. "You are Pyrus! How are you?"

Pyrus smiled. "Fine, thanks for asking."

"Well, what brings you here?" Volteer asked, getting straight to the point.

"I wanted to talk to the new Fire Guardian." He turned and faced Flare. "I lost, and I accept that wholeheartedly, which is why I am here. I want to learn from the best."

Flare blinked, a bit surprised. Was Pyrus asking her to be his personal teacher?

"Would you accept me as one of your students for the time being?" he asked, with a smile.

0

Zaze was at the infirmary, of course, with Flame. He was arranging the red gems back at the medicine cabinet, whilst Flame kept him company. He had nothing else better to do since he wasn't allowed to move about yet. Cyril had only momentarily left to get something.

"So Flame?" asked Zaze.

"Yeah?"

"Where's Ember?" Zaze asked a grin on his face.

"She just went out to get something. She'll be back. She even said she'll sleep with me."

Zaze stared at him for a moment, and then broke out laughing. It took a moment for Flame to realize the meaning of his statement.

"No! What I'm trying to say is she's going to sleep here with me. Here. With me. Not, you know…" Flame was flustered, his scales glowing deep red.

Zaze chuckled. "Yeah, sure she will, lover boy. Joking aside, told her yet?"

Flame bit his lip. He was debating whether to get that piece of information out to the public yet.

"Well…" he scratched his chin. "I—"

"You told her already didn't you?" Zaze asked outright.

"W-what makes you say that?"

Zaze sighed and shook his head. "You're a bad liar Flame. And besides, I can clearly tell. Ever since I started talking about Ember, your tail's been wagging left and right."

Flame turned his head to check, and sure enough, his tail was actively wagging. It was like sweeping the floor with its motion.

"Betrayed by the tail…" Flame said.

"You need to work on concealing your feelings more often."

"Like you?" Flame asked, staring at Zaze.

"I suppose so."

"Speaking of feelings," Flame stared at him with a smirk. "How about YOU? Found anyone in particular yet?"

"Found anyone what?"

"Don't try to sound dumb, you know what I'm talking about."

Zaze shook his head. "No, I don't."

"Let me say it to you then. Have you found anyone you want to be with? Like a girlfriend?" Flame emphasized his last statement by raising both his eyebrows.

Zaze chuckled. "Frankly, no."

"Huh? Really?" Flame asked skeptically.

"Yeah."

"Why? I mean, why not? You're a cool dragon. I'm willing to bet you can get anyone you wanted if you tried."

Zaze shrugged. "I don't know. Honestly, being in a relationship right now is the last thing I want to have."

"And here I thought with your personality, you'd be a girl magnet."

"Most dragons would," Zaze said smugly. "But seriously though, no; and besides, no one has caught my eye, so to speak. No one just interests me to the point that I want to be with them."

"I see."

"That's deep."

The two turned their heads to find the dragon who spoke. It was Ember. She was standing at the doorway, with Cyril standing behind her.

"Ember!" Flame began to light up with glee. Ember smiled and walked over to him.

"I see you're done unpacking. Great job Zaze," Cyril said.  
"All in one day's work," he replied. "Speaking of work, where's Spyro?"

"Yeah, I haven't seen him ever since…" Ember trailed, looking at Flame.

Cyril sighed. "Terrador has been with him ever since the accident. You can assume that Spyro has been reprimanded. I think he gave him some hard exercises as a punishment for his actions."

"Hard exercises?" Flame asked. "I don't see him being a rather…harsh dragon."

Cyril smirked. "You'd be surprised. Amongst the four of us…originally, Terrador has been the one that trains the hardest. His methods are rather unorthodox, but it works."

"Unorthodox? How?" Ember asked.

"They can kill you, if you're not paying attention."

"Oh…" Zaze said, realizing the gravity of it.

"Yes, which is why, frankly, Terrador is the strongest amongst us in terms of brute strength as well." Cyril said, looking at the three of them. "But that's enough about that." He glanced out the window, and realized how late it was. "You three should get some sleep."

Zaze yawned. "No problem with that."

0

Zaze yawned as he headed down the halls of the Temple. It may have seemed simple, but arranging red gems on the shelves on the infirmary was rather tiring work. Or maybe he was justifying his laziness to himself. Regardless, it was late, and he needed to get some rest. As he headed down the halls of the silent Temple, his mind began to wander back again on the day's activities. It had bothered him back then, and still is. What he saw back at the Pool of Visions was the future, from the line of reasoning Volteer presented. It was dark, dangerous and definitely not peaceful; and also something about that dragon that was leading the army. Zaze felt that…the dragon felt familiar to him, though why he didn't have a single clue. It just felt like he saw him before. But that wouldn't make any sense. His memory was a clean slate. No one here resembled that dragon; another mystery for him to mull over. He needed to find out who trashed his room, and now, he had this mystery on top of him.

But overall, the vision showed an ideal future one would not want to be having. Then again though, nothing is set in stone; the future can still change so it really wasn't something permanent. The thought settled nicely in Zaze's head. Even if it was the future, it wasn't permanent. Maybe it was even a fluke. The water might have just reacted to him, but that didn't mean he had the power that Ignitus had. It died right after the images flashed. Maybe it was just pure coincidence. Regardless of how many times Zaze reasoned everything out in his head, only one thing was certain. Only time will tell, if his so called vision, was the real deal.

Zaze's mind was reeled back into reality, when he saw a familiar dragon in the corner.

It was Spyro. He looked rather rugged and tired looking. Terrador must have worked him out.

"Spyro?" he called out.

The purple dragon looked up and saw him. He smiled. "Oh, Zaze."

"Are you…okay now?" Spyro shook his head.

"I don't know," he replied. He then let out a long sigh. "Listen, can you…um…apologize for me? I really, really am sorry for what happened earlier to Flame. I-I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay Spyro. We all make mistakes every now and then; just don't do it ever again though," Zaze said. "You could have killed him."

"I know…" Spyro said looking down at the floor. He grimaced, tapping his head gently. Zaze raised his brow.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing. It's just a headache I've been having; a strong one at that."

"You should get some rest then."

Spyro nodded. "Yeah…so, we okay then?"

"Yeah, I'll pass him the message."

Spyro smiled meekly, before walking off down the corridor.

Zaze stared at him as he left. He had never seen the purple dragon be so…tired. Everything that had happened today must have taken a toll on him; physically, mentally and emotionally. He nearly killed his friend, and he got a strong punishment for it. Zaze could only hope that this accident wouldn't do long term damage.

Turning around, Zaze continued walking, eager to get some sleep. He wondered what the next day would bring him.

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	22. Chapter 22 Topics

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 22

Topics

Spyro groaned. His sleep wasn't exactly the best sleep he had in a while. Cynder, who was sleeping close to him, stirred when she heard him.

"Spyro…?" she asked groggily.

Spyro smiled. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" she asked, turning her head to face him.

"I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine." Spyro sighed, clearly not wanting to talk about it. "Come on Spyro, you can tell me. What's bothering you?"

"Well…I think it's quite obvious…" he said dejectedly.

Cynder stared at him. From the look in his eyes, it was quite clear what it was. Spyro was still deeply bothered by what he had done yesterday. How he nearly killed Flame in their sparring match. She knew how much it had bothered him. She was a witness to it. She woke up last night, only to see Spyro having nightmares.

Spyro was never like this; ever. But she had to toughen up. Spyro normally hid all of this stuff behind a smile and an optimistic view. He never wanted to see others see him down, because if they did, they'd lose hope. And that sort of mentality was one of the factors when they defeated Malefor; optimistic till the end. But cracks, no matter how well hidden, are always still there.

She smiled, giving him a tender lick. "I know, and I know you definitely know what happened yesterday. But that's just it. It already happened. It's clear you didn't mean it. It was an accident Spyro. Let it go."

"Easier said than done…"

"You know full well it was an accident, right?"

"It was. I just…kind of…lost control all of a sudden—which never happened before! I don't know why now!"

"Everyone makes mistakes, Spyro; even you, the Legendary Purple Dragon; no one's perfect. You can't be good at everything."

Spyro sighed once again, deciding to rest his head on her chest. He could hear Cynder's heartbeat and breathing, making him feel relaxed.

"I suppose you are right."

Cynder smiled smugly, entwining her tail with his. "That's because I am."

Spyro chuckled, hugging Cynder tightly.

For a moment, the two dragons stayed silent, just enjoying each other's company. But all good things have to come to an end. Cynder sighed, before gently releasing her grip on him.

"Let's go eat breakfast."

0

"Flare's going to have a what!?"

"Sheesh! Be quiet! It's early in the morning. You don't want to wake everyone up, now do you?"

"Sorry, but seriously Sparx? Is this for real?"

Sparx nodded. "Apparently it is Zaze. Flare's going to have an adult student for the time being."

"Wow…and how did you know about this anyway?" Zaze asked.

"I overheard Terrador and Cyril talking about it earlier, whilst I was walking down the halls."

"Ohh…this is…I don't know what this is."

"Well, if anything, it's news," said Sparx. He then proceeded to munch on the fruit he was eating.

"Hmm…" Zaze mused as he absentmindedly ate the steak on his plate. Sparx brow rose.

"What is it? What are you thinking?"

"Well…" Zaze scratched his chin. "I'm just a bit concerned for—"

Just then Volteer walked into the Dining Hall.

"…Volteer."

"Volteer?" Sparx asked. "Why would you be concerned for—"

"No, I mean, Volteer. Volteer just walked in." Zaze waved at the Electric Guardian, catching his attention. The dragon walked over to them, a smile on his face.

"Good morning you two," he greeted.

"Right back at you," said Sparx.

"Volteer, I need to talk to you," said Zaze.

The Guardian raised his brow. "What is it?"

"Is it true that Flare is getting herself an apprentice?"

"Yes. Is there a problem with that?"

"No it's just…" Zaze trailed.

"Zaze, Flare is a Guardian. And being a Guardian, it is one of your duties to be a teacher and teach future generation of dragons…" Volteer began to trail, his tone of voice changing as he went on. He began to sound like he was grumbling. "…even if that dragon is an adult…and a male one at that…"

Sparx and Zaze stared at him curiously, noticing the change in his tone. They glanced at each other, before looking back at Volteer.

"Case in point," said Volteer, somewhat sounding angry. "Flare is getting herself a third student."

"A third student? Who are the first two then?" Sparx asked.

"Flame and Ember, of course," said Volteer sounding annoyed. "You don't expect Cyril to teach ice techniques to fire dragons now do you?"

Sparx just stared at him, surprised at his tone. "I thought so," Volteer snapped.

"So who is this third student then?" Zaze asked.

Volteer sighed. "…Pyrus…" The name rolled of his tongue like it was poison.

"Isn't that the dragon that—"

"Yes, Sparx. Yes. He was the one that fought against her at the Ascension Competition."

"Volteer, are you okay?" Zaze asked, braving himself to ask the question. "You seem rather…tense."

It was quite obvious what was going on here. Volteer didn't like the idea of Flare being alone with a male. There was one word that could easily describe his actions and the demeanor he was portraying right now.

"I'm fine." But Volteer's body actions seem contradictory to his words. His whole body was rigid and his paws were clenched tight, which he somehow didn't seem to notice. "If you'll excuse me, I have some things to do."

And with that, the Electric Guardian stormed off, leaving Sparx and Zaze to stare at each other.

"What's wrong with him?" Sparx asked.

Zaze just rolled his eyes. Apparently it wasn't quite obvious what was going on with Volteer to others, other than him. So he decided to just pretend he didn't know as well.

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out," he said, before walking off to follow Volteer.

"Huh? Wait up then! I want to know too!"

0

Flame and Ember were leisurely walking down the halls. With the examination of Cyril, Flame's condition had gotten better over night, allowing him to be discharged from the infirmary. He was however to refrain from any strenuous activity. Ember was tasked in keeping him line.

"So let me get this straight, you're basically going to have to babysit me so that I won't hurt myself?" Flame asked  
"Yes. That was the doctor's orders. Is there anything wrong with that?" Ember smirked.  
"Not that I'm complaining." Flame smiled.

Ever since the confession between the two, their relationship got a whole lot better. Flame openly showed affection, which Ember didn't mind at all. However, Flame still observed proper etiquette in public, so he restricted himself into only entwining tails with hers. As the two walked, they silently enjoyed the company they shared with each other. However, the cheery atmosphere was ruined when a grouchy Volteer happened to pass.

"Hey Volteer!" Flame greeted.

"Hello Flame," he answered in a monotone voice. He didn't even bat an eye to them. He just walked straight past them, an annoyed expression on his face.

"What's wrong with him?" Ember asked. Flame shrugged.

Just then, Zaze and Sparx came into the fray.

"Hey, did you two happen to see Volteer pass through here?" Zaze asked.

"Yeah, he just went down the hall. What's wrong with him?" Ember asked.

"We don't know. That's why we're going after him. He was rather disturbed when he relayed the news that apparently, you two are going to have a new classmate." Ember stared at Sparx.

"What? Since when?"

"We just heard about it today too. Apparently, Flare brought onboard a new apprentice."

Flame raised a brow. "Oh, who is he?"

"Pyrus," Zaze replied. "He's the guy that Flare beat at the Ascension Competition."

"That dragon? Wait, why is he…?"

"We don't know, Flame. We're actually going to ask Volteer why an adult dragon would want to go back to the Temple and learn again."

"Well, in that case, have fun. Have you two eaten breakfast yet?"

"We have," Sparx replied.

"See you later then. Flame and I are going to grab a bite to eat first. We'll catch up with you two later."

"Okay," Zaze replied, before walking off with Sparx.

0

"Do you think this is a good idea?"

"What is?"

Cyril shook his head. "The idea about Flare, about the whole idea of her taking an adult student; do you think its okay?"

The Earth Guardian shook his head. "I don't see any problem with it."

"I suppose so. I mean, everyone is entitled to have their proper education, regardless of age."

"Speaking of education," Terrador said. "When do we start the lessons and training?"

Cyril scratched his chin. "Well I was hoping we could start it when Pyre comes back with the last remaining survivors but…I guess we could officially start now."

"Okay then," Terrador replied. "I'll go inform Spyro and Cynder."

"Wait," Cyril said.

Terrador turned around to find Cyril looking at the scroll, hanging from the wall.

"What is it?"

"Is this saying, what I think it is saying?" Cyril asked. Terrador's brow rose.

"Did we ever get the chance to…?"

"No. We only managed to teach Spyro and Cynder how to fight. The other…things, we left out. It didn't seem rather important at the time, and we had a war on our paws."

Terrador sighed. "Ignitus would be the best dragon right now to be telling them this."

"We have no choice Terrador. It is on our paws now."

"I think you should be the one. You have the most _experience_ in _that_ field, so to speak."

Cyril gave Terrador a cynical look. "Are you just saying that because you don't want to do it, or you really mean it?

Terrador gave him a blank look. "Honestly, I don't care which thought best sits with you, but as long as you do it, it's fine with me."

"You know, Terrador, it's moments like these that I hate. I can't tell if you're serious, or you're humoring me."

Terrador shook his head. "I was never one for jokes."

"Fine then, I'll do it. I'll suffer the embarrassment and awkwardness for your sake. But at least tell me this. Do you ever smile?"

The Earth Guardian's brow rose. "Huh? You mean like this?" He smiled.

Cyril shook his head. "No, I mean, truly smile. Are you ever happy?"

Terrador let the question hang in the air for a moment.

"'Happy'…one of the few words I rarely use to describe what I feel."

And with that, the Earth Guardian turned around and headed outside, leaving Cyril to contemplate. The Earth Guardian was a mystery to the three of them. Usually silent and kept to himself, he only spoke when needed to, never telling anything about himself and rarely socialized for the sake of socializing.

Being with the fellow Guardian for so many seasons now, no one truly knew who Terrador was.

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	23. Chapter 23 Training and Talks

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 23

Training and Talks

Flame and Ember rounded around the corner and entered the doors that led into the Dining Hall. To their surprise, Cynder was there eating breakfast…all alone.

"Hey Cynder!" Ember greeted. The dragoness turned around and smiled at them.

"Flame?" she asked. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

"Cyril discharged me already; however I have Ember here as my 'babysitter' so I don't hurt myself."

"I see," Cynder replied.

"Where's Spyro?" Ember asked.

"Oh, he's at the training dojo. You know training and everything."

"Spyro trains a lot, doesn't he?" Flame asked. "Does he ever do anything else?"

"Well, occasionally he helps the moles around in repairing some parts of the city, like helping them move some boulders and stuff. But most of the time, he's training."

"Why? I mean, doesn't he rest or anything? Compared to us, he's doing a lot of work while we…we are practically just sitting around here," said Ember.

"I honestly don't know. Spyro's just like that I suppose. No one's forcing him to do this now, unlike before because it was needed. I guess it's just a way for him to pass the time."

"Speaking of training, Cynder, do you know when ours start? I mean, training is still important to us, even if there's no more war going on." Flame asked.

"I think I'll have to ask the Guardians about that," she replied. Flame nodded.

0

"Are you sure this is okay? I mean, he is mad," Sparx said.

Zaze rolled his eyes. "Sparx, that's why were here. That's why were following him. We're going to help him calm down. I don't like seeing dragons angry. That's why I'm going to be a good friend and find out what's bothering him."

"Good point." The dragonfly nodded.

The dragon and the dragonfly turned around the corner and saw Volteer. The guardian seemed rather disturbed and was brooding quietly at the balcony of the Temple. He was glaring at the distance, his expression stiff. Zaze and Sparx glanced at each other before approaching the electric dragon.

"Volteer?" Zaze called out.

"Yes?" he replied, not looking at him.  
"Are you…okay?" Zaze said, choosing his words carefully.

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine," he replied.  
"I said I'm fine," he snapped back. He sighed, realizing he was getting angry again.

"Is this about Pyrus?" Zaze said, getting straight to the point.

Volteer stayed silent. Sparx gently landed on Zaze's shoulders, listening quietly on the conversation.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" Zaze concluded. Sparx on the other hand was surprised at this.

"Did you just say jealous? Since when did—"  
"I can't believe I am acting like this." Volteer shook his head. "Yes, Zaze."

"Did I miss something here?" Sparx asked, surprised at the revelations before him.

"Oh right, you're not exactly updated with how things are now, are you?" Zaze asked.

"Nobody tells me anything!"

"Well, just shut up and listen then," said Zaze. Sparx snorted, but nonetheless followed.

Zaze turned and faced Volteer again. "It's natural Volteer. You're jealous because Flare will be mostly spending her time with Pyrus now, right? And less time with you."

"What am I going to do…?" The Electric Guardian stared at the floor.

"I see no reason to be worked up about this. You said it yourself. You like her. She likes you. Just make it easy for both of you and tell her. That way, if Pyrus ever tries anything—"

Sparx however cut off Zaze. "WAIT! Volteer!? In a relationship!? Where am I when all of this was happening!?"

"You were sleeping?" Zaze said, somewhat annoyed at getting interrupted. "Anyways, does this mean you finally made up your mind?" He asked, turning to Volteer again.

"You could say that," replied Volteer, smiling warmly.

"Good for you then. So what are you going to do?"

"What I do best. Follow your advice. But Zaze, there's something bothering me."

"What is it?"

"What if Flare doesn't like me anymore?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, I've been rather distant from her ever since she got here, and only started really talking to her a few days ago. Maybe accepting Pyrus as her student wasn't out of boredom. Maybe she just wanted to look for other dragons, since she's given up on me."

"Don't be like that, Volteer," said Sparx. "You're thinking too much."

"I agree with Sparx. You're thinking too much."

And right at that moment, Cyril came walking from the corner.

"Volteer! I finally found you," he said, approaching the three of them.

Then Cyril got the gist that something was up,

"Uh…did I interrupt something?" he asked looking at the three of them.

Volteer shook his head. "No. What is it Cyril?"

"I just came by to tell you," he turned to Volteer. "That it's high time we start training officially."

"You mean studying? I don't get to be lazy anymore?" Zaze whined.

Volteer glanced at him. "Yes, Zaze; and I understand Cyril. I'll be sure to start teaching Zaze as soon as possible."

"Why is it that I get the feeling that training isn't going to be fun?" Zaze said to himself.

Sparx just chuckled and patted him at the shoulder.

"Oh and another thing, Volteer," the Ice Dragon said, motioning for him to come closer.

Volteer leaned in close, as Cyril began relaying messages to him.

Zaze and Sparx however were out of earshot, so they couldn't hear anything that was being said. Eavesdropping is rude. However, there were the occasional responses that made Zaze all the more curious to what was being spoken about.

"Are you serious?" Volteer asked, flustered.

"I am," replied the Ice Guardian. "It is…part of our duty to explain to young dragons the teachings of life."

Volteer sighed. "I don't think I'm the best dragon there is to explain this; I'm not even a father figure."

"And neither am I; Ignitus was, but he is no longer with us. It's not easy for me either. I'm the one having to explain this to Spyro and Cynder."

"Who will tell Flame and Ember then?"

"Flare."

"I see."

Zaze couldn't take it anymore. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh nothing, young dragon; you will find out soon enough," said Cyril with a knowing smirk.

"I am not looking forward to this…" said Volteer shaking his head. "But I understand."

"Good. I'll see you later then."

"Wait," Volteer called out. "When do I start the discussion?"

Cyril scratched his chin. "The sooner the better; at least with Zaze, you get to practice how you break it to them."

"Break what to me?" Zaze asked, getting a bit worried. "What are you guys talking about!?" He turned to Sparx, to see if he got anything out of it.

"Don't look at me. I'm on the same page as you are Zaze."

"Volteer…?" Zaze asked as Cyril left the area.

The Electric Guardian stared at him with a blank stare. For a few moments, he held it, before shaking his head.

"Come with me Zaze. We're going to have a talk."

"About what?"

Volteer just stared at him. "Just come with me."

Zaze and Sparx just glanced at each other before following behind the electric guardian.

0

"So let me get this straight, training starts now?"

The Fire Guardian nodded. "Yes Flame."

"And he's going to be part of our class?" Ember asked, looking over to the other dragon.

"For the time being, yes," Flare answered.

"Okay…" Ember said, glancing at Flame.

The four fire dragons were at the training dojo. Earlier, Flare had received the news from Cyril that training officially starts now, which she just relayed to his two other students. Pyrus, the other dragon in the room, was sitting and listening patiently throughout the time she did so. Flare padded over to him, a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry. I'm guessing you thought I would be teaching you alone but as you can see," Flare gestured over to Flame and Ember. Pyrus shook his head.

"No, it's okay. I completely understand. It is the responsibility of a Guardian."

Flare nodded, before walking over to the center of the room.

"Okay. Before we get started, for formalities sake, I am Flare, The Fire Guardian, and I will be your teacher for Elemental Training. Due to certain circumstances, we won't be following the regular curriculum we usually have, which basically has me teaching you all the basics then going up. Instead we'll start off with this. I'll be asking each of you what you can do, and from there, I'll be able to judge where I should start teaching. Okay?"

Everyone nodded in the room.

"Great then; I'm guessing that, Pyrus," she turned to look at him. "You're practically here for a refresher? You already know all of this stuff."

"If you put it that way, I suppose so." A smirked traveled across his maw. "And I also wanted a sort of rematch afterwards."

Flare's brow rose. "Challenge accepted then. I'll get to you later."

Flame and Ember just glanced at each other, as they listened to the two adults before them.

"So Flame," Flame perked up hearing his name. "What can you do?"

0

"Uh…what are we doing here…exactly?"

Zaze asked as he stared at his surroundings. He was surrounded by books. They were at the library; he, Sparx, and Volteer. He thought they were going to be training. What on earth were they doing at the library then?

"Privacy is important here…" answered Volteer, turning around to face him.  
"It's important because…?" Sparx asked.

"Because of what I am about to talk to you about," he answered seriously. "Sit down."

Zaze nodded, and sat down the floor, looking at him earnestly. Volteer sat across him, sitting on his haunches. He scratched his chin as he cleared his throat.

"Zaze, have your parents ever given you…the talk?"

"The talk?" Sparx asked, sitting down on Zaze's shoulder.

"Uh…no? I…don't remember," Zaze answered.

"Oh right." Volteer tapped his temple with a claw. "You have amnesia."  
"What talk? What talk are we talking about?" Sparx asked.

"There comes a time," Volteer said. Zaze noted how apprehensive his tone was. "When a parent of a dragon, father to son, mother to daughter, sits down and has a talk with each other."

"What do they talk about?" Zaze asked.

Volteer bit his lips. "Life; in preparation for the coming of a…certain season, that will affect dragons of your age."

"Season…?" The gears inside Zaze's head began to work. When seasons were being talked about, it usually were the four seasons. Spring, summer, fall and winter; but none of those would normally make one apprehensive.

Except for one specific season; and it didn't involve weather.

Zaze's expression changed from thinking, to surprise, and lastly, embarrassment. His cheeks began to glow red as he realize what Volteer was talking about.

"Are you talking about mating season!?"

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	24. Chapter 24 Dilemmas

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 24

Dilemmas

"Are you talking about mating season!?" Zaze blurted out.

Volteer himself felt embarrassed a bit, but this was necessary for dragons of his age.

"Yes, Zaze. I am talking about mating season," Volteer replied.

Sparx just shook his head, putting his face in his palms. "Oh my gas…it's THIS talk."

"You've been given it before?" Volteer asked, raising a brow.

"I have." He chuckled. "Spyro was too, but our parents didn't exactly know how, you know, dragons work. And I don't want to sit through it again."

Zaze looked at Sparx. "Don't leave me here!"

"Sorry Zaze. This is one thing you got to face alone." And with that, Sparx flew off, leaving the two dragons alone.

Zaze shook his head, as he turned to face Volteer.

"Do you really have to talk to me about this?" he asked.

"I do. And it's not THAT embarrassing."

Zaze just gave him a flat stare.

"Okay, maybe it is. But it is a natural thing we all do, and you're old enough to be mature about it."

"Exactly! That is why you don't have to talk to me about it!" Zaze said.

Volteer's brow furrowed. "You have amnesia. You didn't know anything other than your name. How do you know how sex works?"

Zaze blinked. "Well…it's what you said. It's a natural thing! You just…know it. It's like eating. You just…eat."

"So when it comes to having sex…you just have sex. Is that how it is?"

Zaze felt uncomfortable. The topic of mating wasn't exactly a topic that sat well with him. "I…guess. I don't know!"

Volteer cocked his head to the side. "For someone that finds happiness in hooking his friends up, you're such a prude Zaze."

Zaze frowned. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, there isn't actually." Volteer scratched his chin. "I'm just worried about you Zaze."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Let us be realistic for a moment. Mating Season is not far along. Spyro is already with Cynder, and it seems that Ember and Flame already have something going on. You on the other hand…"

Zaze just looked on the floor. "I don't mind being alone."

"But that's just it. You and every dragon in your age group will be dealing their first heats this coming season. It'll be the strongest one of them all, since it's your first time."

Zaze sighed and looked at him. "Well, if it comes to that…I'll just, you know, by myself…"

"But it'll only come so far," Volteer replied.

"And besides, I'm not the only one alone. What about Cyril…and Terrador, they don't have anyone, as far as I know."

"The difference between you and them is that they're adults. For one, we have stronger control on ourselves, once the heats start kicking in. And two…well…finding companionship during mating season is not that hard for us adults."

Zaze just remained silent, and stared at the ground.

"I don't get it Zaze. You're a nice dragon. Why is that you don't have any dragonesses hanging around you?"

"Maybe because there are practically only two dragonesses here at the Temple, and they're both taken already?" he counter asked.

"Oh, you do have a point."

"But besides that, I just don't see myself as a dragon that dragonesses would seek in terms of companionship."

"But you have a lot of good qualities." Then Volteer's brow rose. A thought just crossed his mind. "Zaze, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"This may seem out of the blue, but I have to know. Zaze…are you gay?"

0

Sparx was flying down the halls of the Temple when he happened to see two particular dragons. It was Spyro and Cynder, and they look…uncomfortable.

"Hey you two!" he greeted.  
"Hello Sparx…" said Cynder.

"Is something wrong…you two look like…" Sparx scratch his chin as he observed the two.

The two were looking down on the ground, shuffling their paws nervously. Sparx could feel this sort of vibe, that told him that the two didn't want to be with each other for the moment, but not the bad sort. Just for the moment. Then, Cyril just came out of the room at the side, looking pleased.

"That went rather…well actually," he said to himself.

Sparx then decided to ask Cyril what was going on. "Hey Cyril!"

"Oh, Sparx, hello," he said turning to the golden dragonfly. Spyro and Cynder on the other hand, sighed both in unison, and just walked away.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."  
"Do you happened to know what's wrong with those two?" he asked, looking at Spyro and Cynder as they left.

"Oh, those two…well," Cyril turned and face the direction of the two. "I just talked to them and gave them…a…talk."

"A talk?" Sparx's brow rose. He had an idea what this might be.

"Yeah, I gave them one. It involves…life."

"You talked to them about Mating Season, didn't you?" Sparx asked frankly.

Cyril blinked, surprised at the forwardness of the dragonfly.

"I didn't know you were so blunt, Sparx."

"Well, it's just that Volteer is currently giving Zaze one too, and I for one decided to sit it out. I already received mine from my parents. I don't want to suffer the embarrassment again."

"It is embarrassing. But it is natural. They're old enough; you're old enough to be mature about it, so talking about stuff like that shouldn't be too awkward."

"I guess you have a point."

0

The rest of the day was spent on showing Flare what they could do. Flame and Ember never felt so tired. They had to do things from fireballs, comet dashes to even complex ones such as firewalls and blaze melee. Flame panted at the side as the fire in his paws began to fade. Never had his stamina been tested like this for a while. Ember walked over to him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…I just need to breathe…" he replied.

"Very great form Flame," said Flare.

"Thank you," he replied.

"So I'm guessing that's all you two know?"

"That's all we've been taught at the time; we had to momentarily stop because we were relocated to here," replied Ember.  
"I see," Flare replied.

"Not half bad; they're great at what they know," said Pyrus at the corner. Flare nodded.

"The amount of training you guys have completely covers most of the basic stuff, so we won't be discussing them anymore. We will however proceed to the next level which is advanced usage of your powers. The first thing we're going to cover is furies."  
"Fury? What's that?" Ember asked.  
"It's a technique innate to us all. The strongest attack a dragon can dish out. That is, if you're a normal dragon like we are. The only thing above it is Convexity which is unique to purple dragons."  
"How do we do it then?" asked Flame.

"We can do it, by means of two ways. One, we do it the natural way. We summon the power in us, and unleash our full potential," Flare explained.

"The other, we coax the power out of us, by using crystals," added Pyrus.

"Crystals? We can do that?" Flame asked.

"Yes, Flame. Sadly, we do not have the luxury of using purple gems at the moment, so we'll be doing the former method."

"Are you sure? I mean, that method takes…a while," said Pyrus, walking over to Flare.

The Fire Guardian then turned around and faced him. "Do you propose a better idea?"

He smirked. "Why don't we let the kids rest for a while? I don't think they'll be able to summon their furies in their current state right now, let alone focus enough to be able to even get close to doing it."

Flare glanced at Ember and Flame. Both were looking exhausted, and tired, but nonetheless were paying close attention to the two of them.

She sighed shaking her head. "I guess I was expecting too much. Alright, you two are dismissed for the day."

"Really?" Flame asked.

"Yeah, really." Flare replied.

Ember and Flame then glanced at each other, before standing and taking their leave. As they left the Training Dojo, Ember looked at Flame.

"That Pyrus dragon is…nice, isn't he." Flame shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. I think he wanted to get rid of us."

Ember's brow rose. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I think he wanted to have some alone time with Flare."

At this statement, a sudden thought raced through their minds in unison.

"You don't think—"

"Nah I don't think so Flame. Didn't Pyrus say earlier he wanted a rematch?"

"Oh right."

Flame nodded and happened to look at the corner. He saw Volteer, the Electric Guardian.

"Hey Volteer!" he greeted. Volteer however didn't greet back. He was staring at the floor, his expression that of deep pondering.

"Volteer…? Is something wrong?" Ember asked.

Volteer snapped back into attention. "Are they still there?" he asked.

"Who?"

"Flare and…Pyrus…?"

"They are."

"Okay…" he replied.

Ember glanced at Flame who just shrugged back at her. Neither of them knew what was up. But they just let it slide, and kept on walking, and enjoying their early dismissal.

Volteer on the other paw…

Volteer wiped his face as he tried to think rationally. He tried his best to control his emotions, and not let them get the best of him. Flame and Ember were right. Maybe Pyrus was just having a rematch with Flare inside the Training Dojo, which is why he wanted them out of there. But…if they were having a rematch, there was no harm in having them there. They could just be at the sidelines, and watch while the two go at it.

So many questions and no answers; the suspense was gnawing on Volteer's mind. Maybe Pyrus WAS trying his luck on Flare! He couldn't have that. Not now that he decided he was game on taking Flare.

He inhaled deeply, putting his best neutral expression ever. He made up his mind. He was going to go in there. Look, and just let the situation itself tell him what was going on. If he saw them sparring, that's good. If he saw otherwise…well…

Volteer shook his head. He'll just do that part once he gets there.

Taking a step forward, he walked in the Training Dojo.

What Volteer saw couldn't have possibly prepared him for it. There was the possibility of Pyrus flirting with Flare, bluntly speaking. There was also the possibility of the two of them sparring.

The possibility that he so wanted to have.

But apparently it just wasn't his day.

Right there, at the center of the Training Dojo, was Pyrus and Flare. The thing that shocked him the most was their position. Pyrus was atop Flare; bodies fitting together like a puzzle.

They were in the position of mating.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**I am so sorry for not being able to update yesterday. We went out, and got home really late. I was too tired to get on the computer. So yeah.**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	25. Chapter 25 Rematch

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 25

Rematch

Sparx was flying down the halls. It had been hours since he had left Zaze with Volteer to continue their male to male talk. He wondered how things had transpired. Rounding around the corner, he entered the Dining Hall to see if the electric dragon was there. Sadly though, the only dragon he saw was Terrador. He was currently talking with some moles.

"You got all that?" he asked.

"Understood," said the mole.

"Okay then."

"Hey Terrador," Sparx called out, as the mole left.

The Earth Guardian turned around to see him. "Oh Sparx, what is it?"

"Have you seen Zaze? I haven't seen him ever since Volteer talked to him."  
"Oh, Volteer has given…the talk, I presume?"

Sparx nodded. "Yeah; it's been hours since they started. I checked back at the room I left them and they were no longer there. Have you seen Zaze by any chance?"

Terrador shook his head. "Sorry, I haven't. Have you tried looking at the Temple Grounds? He could be there."

"I haven't. I'll go take a look. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

And with that, Sparx left, leaving to Terrador to his own devices. Soon enough, Sparx emerged from one of the Temple doors and flew down the steps, heading to the Temple Grounds. This was where he and Zaze usually hung out, normally under the shade of the trees when they had nothing to do for the time being. However, upon inspection, Zaze wasn't at the normal hang out. This made Sparx wonder.

"Hey Sparx," a voice called out. "What are you doing?"

Sparx turned around to see Cynder. He shook his head. "I'm looking for Zaze. I'm wondering how he is."

"Why? Did something happen?" Cynder asked a tone of concern in her voice.

"No. Volteer gave him the talk earlier. I wanted to see what his reaction was."

"What talk?"

"The same talk that Cyril gave you two."

Cynder blinked. "Oh…that talk…" she said.

Sparx smirked. "Which reminds me, how did it go?"

"Well…" Cynder blushed, clearly embarrassed at talking about it. "It was, um, okay."

"Okay…really? You two looked like you needed a moment earlier to gather yourselves."

"We were just a bit shocked with all the information thrown at us. Give me a break." Cynder sighed. "I learned a lot. Cyril even actually gave me some herbs as insurance."

"Insurance for what?" Sparx asked.

"Insurance that I don't get pregnant in case Spyro gets a little antsy."

Sparx blinked. That was something he didn't expect.

"That's…good to hear," said Sparx. "In any case, I have to look for Zaze."

"See you around then," said Cynder.

0

Sparx searched high and low, looking for his electric dragon friend, Zaze. He looked at the Dining Hall again; his room, and even at the bathroom but still no luck. He scratched his head wondering where the dragon could be. Out of sheer desperation, he opened the door and headed inside the library. There was no harm in checking the room again, right?

"Zaze?" he called out.

"Yeah?"

Who would've thought? Zaze poked his head from the corner, a brow raised. Sparx sighed; relieved to have found who he was looking for.

"You were here this entire time?" he asked, flying over to him. "Where did you go after your talk with Volteer?"

"I went to the bathroom."

Sparx cocked his head. "Huh…"

"Anyways, you were looking for me?"

"Yeah, I was."

"Because…?"

"I wanted to hang out."

Zaze's eyes narrowed. "You want to know how my talk with Volteer went don't you."

Sparx chuckled. "You know me too well."

Zaze shrugged. "It was…um…okay I guess."

"Really? That's all?"

"Well, he did ask me what my sexual orientation was."

Sparx brow rose. "What is your sexual orientation anyway?"

Zaze smirked. "Well, Sparx, I am a proud—"

But Zaze was cut off, when all of a sudden the door to the library opened up, and another yellow dragon walked in.

"Volteer?" Sparx asked.

Zaze looked at him, and saw the unfathomable expression on his face. He looked sad, angry, panicked and confused, all at the same time. It was like he was trying to win a best actor award from his performance but no doubt wasn't. Sparx looked at Zaze, and immediately the two thought of the same thing. Something must have happened, involving Flare.

"What happened?" Zaze asked.

"I…I can't believe it…" Volteer said. "He…he…"

"He what?" Sparx asked.

Volteer closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "After all this time…"

Zaze glanced at Sparx. This was really something serious.

"Come on Volteer, we're here for you. You can tell us," Zaze said, trying to comfort the Electric Guardian.

0 = 0 = 0

"Are you sure? I mean, that method takes…a while," said Pyrus, walking over to Flare.

The Fire Guardian then turned around and faced him. "Do you propose a better idea?"

He smirked. "Why don't we let the kids rest for a while? I don't think they'll be able to summon their furies in their current state right now, let alone focus enough to be able to even get close to doing it."

Flare glanced at Ember and Flame. Both were looking exhausted, and tired, but nonetheless were paying close attention to the two of them.

She sighed shaking her head. "I guess I was expecting too much. Alright, you two are dismissed for the day."

"Really?" Flame asked.

"Yeah, really." Flare replied.

Ember and Flame then glanced at each other before standing and taking their leave. Flare watched as the door closed behind the two and turned her head to face Pyrus.

"Let's get this over with," said Flare.

"Fine by me," replied Pyrus stretching a bit.

"On, 3. 1."

"2."

"3."

Flare immediately blasted off to the side, running around the corner, focusing all of her energy onto her paws. She had already fought Pyrus before, back at the Ascension Competition, and surely he wouldn't fall for the same trick again. Pyrus stood calmly at the middle, following her with his eyes. He stood there proudly, not moving. Flare on the other hand just stopped and prepared herself. Whatever Pyrus was planning, she could easily counter it. She wasn't going to let herself be intimidated.

With a surging force, she opened her maw and launched fireballs at Pyrus. They careened towards him, whistling at their speed. Flare glanced at her opponent. He wasn't moving. He was definitely planning something. And he actually did. With a smirk, he jumped. He twirled and spun in the air; any gymnast watching would have been put to shame, since he moved with grace. Using the momentum, he literally swatted the fireballs out of the air with his tail. The fireball was sent back flying, heading straight towards a surprised Flare. She barely had enough time to dodge. Jumping to the side, she was met with a wall of fire summoned by Pyrus. She was singed, but it was nothing she couldn't handle.

Pyrus, on the offensive, roared and charged at her, flames surrounding his entire body. He was going to do a comet dash, and there wasn't enough time for Flare to move out of the way. She was smacked head on. The wind was taken out of her lungs as Pyrus's head collided with her chest; the flames of the comet burning her chest as well, leaving burn marks. Seeing as his hit confirmed, Pyrus did the next logical thing to do. And that was to combo it.

He stomped his paws on the ground forcefully to gain some steady footing. He then craned his neck, lifting and throwing a dazed Flare into the air. The Fire Guardian couldn't believe how the tides had turned. One moment she was on the offense, and now, she was getting worked out. And Pyrus was going in for the kill. It came as no surprise as Flare was smacked out of the air by the tail of the male. She crashed down on the floor with a loud thud, completely out of commission. The male landed on top of her, panting and tired, but was clearly brimming with more energy if need be. He was basically pinning her to the ground, incapacitating her.

For a moment, the two were in that position. Not caring what there position would imply to an outsider who happened to glance at them. The door to the Training Dojo was closed anyway.

0 = 0 = 0

Flare breathed heavily, her heart beating frantically. She lost. She lost fair and square, and it was done so quite magnificently. Flare stared at her opponent. The two of them were staring back at each other, and both also knew who the victor was.

"I…I surrender…" she said.

Pyrus smiled. Flare coughed and smiled back at him.

"I guess you beat me."

"I did…" Pyrus sighed. "Too bad this wasn't the Ascension Competition."

Flare chuckled. "If it were, our positions would be reversed."

Pyrus moved out of the way, and let Flare get up.

"Thanks."

"For what?" Flare asked, looking at him.

"For the match; it feels right that I got a rematch. I thought it was a bit unfair that you won because I got out of bounds. Though, I do not hold it against you. You would make a great fire guardian."

Flare blushed at the compliment. "You're welcome. And you would to. So Pyrus…are you doing anything? Want to hang out?"

Pyrus shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm unavailable this evening. I have to stay home."

"Why?"

Pyrus scratched his head sheepishly. "I have to watch the eggs."

Flare blinked. She didn't expect that. "The…eggs?"

"Yeah…" Pyrus smiled. "My mate's going out with her friends for the evening, so it's my turn to watch our hatchlings."

"Oh!" Flare said. "I-I didn't know!"

"I don't look like a father do I?" Pyrus asked jokingly.

Flare smirked. "You don't."

Pyrus smiled smugly. "I see I still have my looks, and charm."

"Don't let it get to your head."

"Joking aside, I have to say goodbye now, Flare. It was nice meeting you. I do hope we see each other again."

"Something tells me we'll be seeing each other around," said Flare. "If you ever need some tips on handling some hatchlings, I think I can give you some."

"I'll make a mental note of that," Pyrus replied.

And with that, the two dragons casually left the Training Dojo.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**DUN DUN DUN!**

**So...apparently, THEY WEREN'T MATING! OH MY GAS! What happens now with Volteer!? Find out in the next chapter!**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	26. Chapter 26 Resolution

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 26

Resolution

Night had now fallen, and the residents of the dragon city were turning in for the night. The moon had now risen, and it was becoming quite late. The Fire Guardian, walked down the halls, a puzzled expression on her face. She was looking for someone out of curiosity. She had not seen him all afternoon. Walking around the corner, she happened to pass by Flame.

"Flame," she called out.

"Oh, Flare, what is it?" he asked.

"Have you seen Volteer? I haven't seen him all afternoon. Did something happen?"

The fire dragon shook his head. "I don't think so. Have you tried checking the Dining Hall?"

"Hmm…No, I haven't. I'll take your advice then."

Flame smiled. "You're welcome."

Flare continued on her path, heading to the Dining Hall. Nothing happened as it seemed. Then where was Volteer? Normally, she would see him at the library, or at the Temple Grounds. But she didn't. Maybe his absence had a connection to his behavior yesterday. Ever since Flare had talked with Pyrus, he started acting…odd. Flare thought of the possibilities as she walked. Then again, maybe she was thinking too hard.

Regardless, she continued her pondering up until she rounded around the corner, and entered the Dining Hall. The Dining Hall was fairly empty. Except for a few moles here and there, fixing and cleaning the place up. Terrador was there, eating by himself, along with Zaze, who seemed to be in deep thought. Flare stopped for a moment. Zaze; the electric dragon was usually found alongside Volteer. Maybe he knew where the Guardian was.

"Zaze," she called out.

Zaze however didn't respond. He just kept still, sitting there silently, his eyes closed.

"Zaze," she said, a bit louder this time.

Zaze looked up, and faced her.

"Oh, uh, Flare, what is it?" he asked, looking at her.

"Have you seen Volteer?"

Zaze sighed. This told Flare that he had an idea where he was.

"I haven't seen him all afternoon. I was too busy sparring with Pyrus. Did you see him by any chance?"

"Well I—wait." Zaze snapped to attention, turning to face her. "You were sparring?"

The sudden change in demeanor surprised Flare. "I-I was. Why?"

"With Pyrus? Like, he asked you for a rematch? Because he lost the Ascension Competition?"

Flare stared at Zaze. "How did you know that?"

Zaze blinked. He was beginning to sound smart again. "Now's not the time. And yes, I do know where he is."

"Oh, you do? Where is he?"

"He's at his room."

"Are you sure?" Flare asked.

"Yeah, go, please." Zaze then murmured the latter more to himself. "Make this easier for both of you."

"What was that?" Flare thought she heard him say something more.  
"Oh nothing."

Flare raised her brow, but nonetheless left.

As Flare left, another dragon entered the room. It was Cyril, the Ice Guardian, and he had a smile on himself.

"What's up?" Zaze asked, as he neared him.

"Well, it's just purely great Zaze," Cyril replied.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Do you remember Pyre?"

"Pyre…?' Zaze thought for a moment, trying to remember the name. "Oh! Flame's father! Why?"

"Do you remember that he set out to find other surviving dragons?"

0 = 0 = 0

"It's sad though…dad has to leave."

"Huh? Why?" Pyre was leaving?

"They have to go back. Fix a few things back at the old place. I guess it can't be helped. Plus they also volunteered, and a couple of others to help in finding other dragons out there."

"Why don't you go with him them if you rather stick with him?"

Flame stared at Zaze. "My dad told me I'd rather stay here. He doesn't want me getting hurt or anything."

0 = 0 = 0

"Yeah, I do. I heard about it during the party," Zaze replied.

"Then I am happy to say that Pyre just sent us letter. The cheetahs had intercepted it and gladly gave us the notice that Pyre will be arriving some time early morning tomorrow."

"Oh really?" Terrador said, approaching the two.

"Yes, Terrador, so I expect all of us to be up and about early tomorrow."

"Understandable."

"So there's going to be more dragons around now here in the Temple?" Zaze asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes; not all of them will be living here though; just those that prefer it here."

"I guess so."

0

He stared down at the floor, feeling…empty.

He was confused. It just…didn't seem all too fair for him. That was the moment. He was going to take a leap of fate and just give it all his best. And it was taken away from him. Just like that. A part of him died when he saw them in the position they were in. Then again, who could blame them? For all he knew he and she already had a prior relationship and the spark just kind of rekindled.

He sighed. Maybe he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time; or just plain wrong.

Whichever the case was, one thing was quite clear in Volteer's mind. He was never going to love again. It hurt too much. His heart could no longer bear the pang of the pain. Volteer just felt contented to lie down there, wishing to just slowly disappear from the Dragon Realms. Wishing to be back at the time, when things were a lot different. Wishing…he had acted sooner. He didn't bother wiping the tears that slowly streamed down his eyes. That was the only thing easing his pain. Closing his eyes, Volteer waited for sleep to come to him. To put him to rest, and at least temporarily stop the pain that was coming from his chest.

Volteer was so lost in his flood of emotions; he didn't even notice the door opening behind him.

"Volteer…?"

He knew the owner of the voice. Wiping away the tears discreetly, he didn't bother turning his head to face her. He just lied there on the pile of cushions.

"Y-yes…? What is it?"

"Volteer? Are you okay?"

He didn't answer. Flare thought for a moment, before deciding to enter the room. The door closed behind her, as she slowly padded over to him.

"…Volteer?" she asked with a tone of concern. "Did something happen?"

He didn't stir. He just lied there, motionless. Flare sighed. She knew Volteer long enough to know what was going on with him. Volteer rarely clammed up like this. Usually he was always up and about, chitty chatty. But when he clammed up, it usually was when he was serious…or when something was deeply troubling him.

"Come on…you can tell me," she said, standing near him now.

However, the response she got was something she completely didn't expect.

"Shouldn't you be with Pyrus?" Volteer replied. He sat up, and turned to face her. Flare cocked her head to the side as she saw Volteer's eye. They were slightly red. He had been crying. And what's this about Pyrus?

"And leave you here in pieces?"

"Well…" Volteer avoided her gaze. "I just don't want him to think that…you know…"

Flare raised her brow. "Know what?"

"That I'm taking up your time. He is courting you right?"

Courting? The gears inside Flare slowly began to turn, as the pieces fell into place.

"No." She answered firmly. "What makes you think that?"

"Don't lie to me," the electric dragon said, almost sounding angry. "I saw you—"

"Saw me what?"

Volteer bit his lip. He was hesitating, but decided to just say it.

"I saw you mating with Pyrus at the Training Dojo."

Flare blinked. That definitely caught her off guard. A flurry of thoughts crossed her mind, but one thing was clearly blatant amongst them.

"What?"

"You heard me."

Flare's brow furrowed, displaying her confusion. "I-me-Pyrus-what are you talking about? I wasn't mating. Let alone with Pyrus."

This time, it was Volteer's turn to be confused. "But I saw you at the training dojo…on the floor…"

The memory inside Flare's head clicked as she realized what he was referring to.

0 = 0 = 0

She crashed down the floor, with a loud thud, completely out of commission. The male landed on top of her, panting and tired, but was clearly brimming with more energy if need be. He was basically pinning her to the ground, incapacitating her. For a moment, the two were in that position. Not caring what there position would imply to an outsider who happened to glance at them. The door to the Training Dojo was closed anyway.

0 = 0 = 0

"Oh! That?" she replied. "That was me crashing down the floor. Pyrus really gave it his all."

"You mean, you two were just—"

"To make things clear, Pyrus was here for one definite reason. He wanted a rematch. He respects the decision you guys made, but he thought it was a bit unfair that he lost to me because he got out of bounds. You know, with pride and everything. So I accepted his challenge and…I lost. I smacked hard down the floor and he had to pin me to ensure his victory. There was nothing sexual in it whatsoever."

Volteer looked dumbstruck. No, for the better word, he WAS dumbstruck. The explanation he got felt like a smack to the face. He was never the type to jump to conclusions but this time he did; and he jumped high. Something deep inside himself told him that he was going to pay for this in some way.

"Were you crying because of...I was mating? Why?" Flare asked.

"I-I wasn't crying." Volteer looked away. "There was something in my eye."

Flare glared at him. "Really?" she asked sarcastically.

Volteer huffed. "Okay, maybe I was."

"But why would you be—"

That was when it dawned on her. Why Volteer was acting the way he was. Why he was crying; the reason for everything. It was really simple.

She looked at Volteer, as if seeing him in a new light. "Y-you were jealous, weren't you?"

Volteer looked away, unable to look her in the eye. This only confirmed Flare's suspicions. Volteer sighed. The jig was up. He let his emotions get the better of him. And now, Flare got the gist of it and realized that he had feelings for her. Well now was the best time to come clean. Still looking at the floor, he answered her.

"…yes. I was…"

Flare didn't know what to say. Her mind was confused and was trying to take in all the flurry of information she was getting. Her heart however was ready, and this was the chance it was waiting for. Walking over to him, she placed a wing over his shoulder. Volteer turned to face her, and for a moment, the two just felt contented to stare at each other.

"You should have told me sooner."

Volteer blinked. "Wha—"

He was cut off however as Flare stole a kiss from him. It was short, sweet and everything Volteer ever dreamed of. It made his heart feel all warm and tingly inside. After the short kiss, Flare looked at him and blushed.

"…you're not the only one…"

"Wait. Since when have you—"

"Ever since you saved me; that was when…I started having feelings for you. But I never said anything."

"Because I was already with someone else…" Volteer looked at the floor.

"Don't worry though." Volteer looked at her. "I'll wait for you; whenever you're ready."

Whenever he was ready? He smiled to himself.

"Well, I'm ready now."

And with that, Volteer leaned in and kissed her. Flare was taken by surprise, but she lovingly kissed back. One thing was clearly on Volteer's mind as they each showed how much they loved each other.

He was in love again. And this time, he wasn't going to let anything happen to the one he loved.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Thus ends the Volteer Social Link. I hope you guys enjoyed it.**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	27. Chapter 27 The Healer

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 27

The Healer

Zaze groaned as the sun hit his face. He rolled to the side, trying to divert the sun's rays that were invading his room and landing on his face. However, to his demise, no matter where he rolled, the light rays still landed on his face. Of course, this happened because the curtains that USED to exist in his room, were now gone.

"Oh man…" He covered his face with his wings, trying to shun away the light.

Up to this day, his investigation of finding out who actually messed up his room, way back at the time of the celebration when all the dragons came back, was still going on. And as of late, he had no leads whatsoever. So far, no one ever mentioned his room or anything relating to messing things up. Zaze though, never gave up; he knew one of the dragons in this Temple messed up his room. They thought he had forgotten. If they had, then surely they are underestimating him. The trail completely froze solid and he had one clue.

0 = 0 = 0

He looked down at the side of his pile of cushions and found…dirt. He touched it, brought it up close to his maw and took a short sniff to confirm. It really was dirt. In all of it's earthy like scent. What the hell was dirt doing in his room? Could this be a clue to finding out who messed his room and why? Maybe it was, or it wasn't. Nonetheless, he took note of the traces of dirt found in his room, before heading out.

0 = 0 = 0

Zaze sighed dejectedly and loosened up. It looked like sleep wasn't coming to get him anymore. Feeling a little lazy, he decided to just lie there for now, and think of things. The culprit to who messed up his room came to him first. He only had one clue. Dirt. That wasn't much of a clue. Surely someone that spent a long time in his room left more clues than that. Zaze stared at the tapestry at the side and something caught his attention. He remembered examining it before. That was when the memory hit him.

0 = 0 = 0

Zaze approached the piece of fabric, and examined it. It was burnt. He hummed to himself, thinking deeply and considering everything that has happened. No one in the right mind would mess up a room with no clear motivation.

0 = 0 = 0

He smacked himself on the head. The tapestry! It was a clue as well. Not just the dirt! He felt so stupid not realizing it sooner. But…there was a contradiction there. The tapestry was burnt; meaning the dragon that came in the room was a FIRE dragon. Or at least a dragon that could use the element fire; if that was the case, then why would there be dirt there? The dirt suggests that the dragon that went in and did the deed was an earth dragon.

"That doesn't make any sense…" said Zaze. "No dragon can wield two elements…"

He hummed. "Well Spyro can…he's the exception along with Cynder. But Spyro doesn't really do this sort of stuff…he lacks a motive. Cynder though…hmm…"

Well, aside from Spyro and Cynder, THERE WAS another one. But as soon as the thought crossed Zaze's mind, he immediately shrugged it off. The dragon was dead. Spyro and Cynder had killed him already. Clearly, he's not around anymore, let alone messing up rooms. Zaze had to mentally smack himself for even thinking of it. It was a rather stupid idea, putting in Malefor in the equation.

Inevitably, Zaze had to sigh and sit up. No matter how much he looked at it, no one here seemed to be likely to be the culprit. But there had to be one. And what was his motive? A lot of questions popped into Zaze's head with no answer. Even the evidence he had, proved to be somewhat useless since they could all be circumstantial, and none of them could be used to pin the crime on someone.

It really did require more investigation and thinking into the matter.

Zaze blinked realizing his stomach was growling at him. All that thinking to himself got him hungry. Without a second fleeting thought, he stood up and headed outside. He wondered what today would bring him.

0

"Hey Zaze," a voice called out.

Zaze looked up and saw Spyro approaching him. Sparx was flying right beside him. Cynder however, wasn't with them. Zaze gulped down the banana he was eating, as Spyro seated himself beside him.

"What's up?" Zaze replied.

"Is it true?" Spyro asked.

"Is what true?"

"That Pyre is coming back; with other dragons?" Sparx asked.

"Who told you that?"

"Uh, Cyril did. He mentioned it to us while we were on the way here," Sparx answered.

"Yeah it's true." Zaze nodded. "I'm not sure when they'll be arriving though."

"I see…" Spyro replied, tapping his head. This made Zaze remember something.

"Hey Spyro, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"Where's Cynder?"

"She's still sleeping."

"Okay, next question. Are you still having headaches?"

Spyro sighed. "Yeah; but I've developed a certain tolerance to the pain now."

"Have you asked Cyril about that?"

"I've already nagged him about that." Sparx crossed his arms. "But Cyril just said to give it a day or so. He just needs some rest and all. And I wouldn't be surprised too." Sparx turned to his brother. "All you've been doing is nothing but training. I swear man, one of these days, you're just going to drop to the floor; collapse because of exhaustion. Terrador is driving you hard way too much."  
"Is that all you've been doing?" Zaze asked, surprised at this information.

"Where else would you think I'd be?" Spyro asked.

"I don't know. With Cynder? Dude, you need to relax, man. Loosen up."

"I'm not sure Zaze. It's just that, training…training seems to be the only thing on my mind as of late."

"And for what reason may I ask?" Sparx asked.

"Calm my nerves, I suppose?" Spyro shook his head. "I can't explain it."

"Okay then. I respect that. But seriously though, when you do find the time, try and relax."

Sparx nodded. "Zaze is right. You should be like him Spyro. All laid back without a care in the world, for someone who doesn't have a clue who he is."

"That's me. I try not to let things get to me, and just let them happen, and deal with them as they do."

"Speaking of things happening…" Sparx smirked. "Did you guys happen to see Volteer earlier this morning?"

"No. Why?" Spyro asked.

"He seemed…" Sparx scratched his chin. "What's the right word…?"

"Different?" Zaze guessed.

"Yes, different seems to be fitting."

"Why? Did something happen?" Spyro asked.

"No. It's just that, the way he was yesterday…" Sparx glanced at Zaze, a twinkle in their eyes. "I wouldn't expect him to be like this now."

"What do you mean yesterday? Was Volteer acting strange yesterday?"

Zaze stole a quick glance at Sparx and nodded to himself. Volteer made them promise not to tell anyone about what was going on yesterday; about Volteer seeing Pyrus and Flare apparently mating at the Training Dojo. The three of them are the only ones who know about this event. And they planned to keep it that way.

"In a way; I actually plan to talk to him about it later," Zaze replied.

"I see." Spyro nodded.

"By the way, have you seen Flame?"

"I think he's outside," Sparx replied.

"Okay. Thanks. See you later."

"Later." The brothers replied.

0

"Isn't this exciting?"  
Terrador's brows furrowed. "You seem awfully cheery today. Want to talk about it?"

The Electric Guardian shook his head. "What? I'm always like this."

"No you aren't. Tell him Cyril."

Cyril sighed. "Can you two, please, focus?" He looked at the two of them seriously, before turning to Volteer. "Where's Flare?"

"Oh, Flare? She's back at our roo—I mean her room."

Cyril and Terrador scrutinized him both at the same time. There was definitely something going on. Volteer just smiled sheepishly, trying to avoid their piercing gaze.

"Uh huh, and how do you know this?" Cyril inquired.

"I went to check on her."

"And you didn't wake her up?" Cyril hummed to himself, looking at Volteer skeptically. "Now why would you go to someone's room, and not wake them up, when in fact they're needed to be up and about early?"

Volteer blinked. "Uh…because…well…"

"Well?" Terrador asked.

"Uh…"

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!"

The statement caught the three of them off guard. Cyril and Terrador turned around to find the Fire Guardian, Flare, standing behind them. She had a sheepish smile across her face, as she was scratching her head apologetically.

"I'm so sorry. I woke up late. I had…matters to attend to," she said.

Cyril looked at Volteer, who was staring at Flare. The two were looking at each other in a way that he had never seen before. But he decided to let the matter go.  
"Fine, we'll rest. But since we're all here, let us go. We have to welcome Pyre and the others."

"Agreed," said Terrador, adopting his formal self again.

Cyril and Terrador walked ahead, leading the way to the front courtyard. At the back was Volteer and Flare. As soon as the two were out of earshot, Flare leaned in close to Volteer.

"Do they know?"

"They suspect," Volteer whispered. "This type of thing can't stay a secret for long."

"Well, let's just relish the privacy we have before it's out in the open." And with that, Flare licked Volteer's cheek. The electric dragon blushed at the affectionate action. He wanted to give a response, but…he wanted to keep this secret as long as possible. He didn't want to risk it.

0

"Wow…that's a lot of dragons…"

Zaze stared in enjoyment as he saw the crowd of dragons. Everywhere he looked was dragons. Old, young, teen, even hatchlings were there. The four main elements were clearly present. And to their surprise, Terrador and Cyril were already there, entertaining and welcoming the newcomers. All of them were clearly ecstatic that they were finally coming home to the city that they used to live in. Flare and Volteer were there as well, being talked to by some older looking dragons. It looked the same as before, but the crowd seemed bigger this time.

"Can you see my dad?" Flame asked.

Zaze examined the crowd, and saw the dragon in question. Pyre was chatting with Cyril.  
"There! Can you see him?" Zaze pointed.

"Yeah, I see him, thanks Zaze!" And with that Flame went after his dad.

"Wait for me," Ember said, chasing after him.

"I wonder if Flame ever plans on telling his dad he got himself a girl now…?" Zaze asked himself.

Surely he would tell his dad. That was the sole reason he wasn't allowed to come with him to help find the other dragons in the first place. With nothing much to do, he decided to go for a walk. Entering the Temple once again, he happened to pass by Cyril, who looked like he was troubled.

"Cyril, you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine. Thank you for asking. It's just that I am having trouble looking for someone."

"Can I help? Who are you looking for?" Zaze asked.

"A dragoness—now before you say anything," Cyril cut him off as Zaze was about to comment. "No, Zaze. It's not like that. I'm looking for her, because we are in need of a healer."

"A healer?" Zaze asked.

"Remember when Flame was at the infirmary and I was the one treating him?"

"Yeah, I do. Why?"

"Well, I can't do that all the time. I'll be busy dealing with students and Guardian duties in general. I won't be able to be present all the time to fix dragons back to good health. Which is why, we need a healer; someone that has medical training that can fill in the post permanently."

"And this dragoness is someone with the right requirements?" Zaze concluded.

"Yes. Pyre informed me earlier. She's an earth dragon. Her name is Alyssa."

"I guess looking for her is not that much of a task. How old is she?"

"About the same age as I am."

Zaze's brows furrowed. "How old are you?"

"Well Zaze, if you must know, I am still in my young prime youth. You may describe me as a virile stud, thank you very much." Cyril's tone sounded like Zaze had struck a nerve. He made a mental note to tread lightly around Cyril when age and masculinity in general was discussed.

"Okay, okay. No need to be so touché."

Zaze looked around and sure enough, there were immediately a couple of dragons that caught his eye. But majority of them were males, and most were old looking dragons. Some were too young, others way too old. And when he saw some females, it was practically the same.

"Are you sure she's—wait, I think I see her." Zaze saw a dragoness; young, beautiful, sexy, same age as Cyril; she must have been her.

"Yeah, I think I do too. Come, let us talk to her."

The two dragons then approached the dragoness. It was Cyril, who initiated the conversation.

"Excuse me," he said.

"Yes?" The dragoness turned around.

"Are you Alyssa, by any chance?" Cyril asked. She smiled.

"Yes, I am. Who might you be?"

Zaze then noticed that Cyril slightly puffed his chest out as he responded. "Cyril, the Ice Guardian."

"And I am Zaze. Zaze the dragon."

"The name is Alyssa. And this is my brother, Manuel," she said, referring to the ice dragon beside him.

"Nice to meet you," he replied, smiling at Zaze. Zaze smiled back.

"Well, Alyssa, it has come to our attention that we are in need of a healer in this Temple. Pyre has informed me that you have the skills. Are you interested?"

She smiled. "Yes, I am."

"Great! I shall brief you officially later."

"I am happy to be of service. And Cyril?"

"Yes?" Cyril turned to face her.

And then that's when things took a turn for the confusion. It happened so fast that Zaze was surprised by it. As Cyril turned, he was met with a paw to the face. He was smacked, hard, causing him to fall down the floor, as he was caught off guard. He turned his head, and saw the smiling Alyssa had changed demeanors. Her warm smile was gone, and she was clearly glaring at the fallen dragon beside him.

"That's for what you did."

And with that, Alyssa turned around and left, who was followed by an equally shocked Manuel.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Yes folks. It's time to start the Cyril Social link. And what better way to start it off, but with some drama!**

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	28. Chapter 28 Confrontations

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 28

Confrontations

"Okay, what was that all about?" Zaze asked.

Cyril sighed and shook his head. Cupping the water in his paws, he splashed them across his face, and washed his cheeks.

"I honestly don't know."

"This is the first time you've met that dragoness right?"

Cyril scratched his head, and stared at his reflection on the mirror. "I think so."

"You think so? That's not a really good answer."

"I know Zaze," Cyril replied. "But that's the best I have."

"She said something about you doing something. So clearly, you should know that."

"But that's just it. I don't remember. Or maybe the memory is just too far for me to remember."

Zaze sighed. He sat there for a while, thinking to himself. The best way to solve problems like these was to face it head on. And that translates to one thing. Cyril glanced at him and saw the dragon was in deep thought.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"Well, if you want my advice, I suggest you just…confront her."

"Confront her?"

"Ask her what it's all about, you know."

"Okay…I'll try and do that. Where do you think she'll be?" Cyril asked.

"Well, she's probably going to be at the Infirmary. That's where she'll be working right?"

"Good point."

"Well, good luck. Tell me all about it later. I'm heading out."

"Where are you going?" Cyril asked.

"I'm going to see what the others are up to."

And with that, Zaze left Cyril at the bathroom. Cyril sighed once again, and looked at himself in the mirror.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time, Cyril?" he asked himself. "Alyssa…"

0

Cynder woke up that day, feeling great and dandy. Spyro had left her side early that morning, as he was the early dragon between the two of them. Stretching her body like a cat, she headed outside, into the Dining Hall, wondering what the day would bring her. Rounding around the corner, she grabbed her meal, as always, and began eating it at one of the tables. As she began to enjoy her peaceful breakfast, she was disturbed when something caught her eye. It was a dragon, an ice dragon to be precise, sitting at one of the tables in front of her. Now normally, this wouldn't have bothered her at all, if that dragon was Cyril. However, this dragon was a completely new face.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, she decided to talk to him. Making quick work of her light breakfast, she padded over to him.

"Hello," she greeted.

The dragon turned around, and blinked, seeing her. She was used to that by now. That was the common expression dragons gave her, when they see her for the first time; her title, being the ex-Terror of the Skies and all.

"H-hello," he greeted back. Stuttering was also a common thing.

"It seems I haven't seen you before. Who are you?"

The dragon quickly gulped his food down before answering her. "The name's Manuel. I'm one of the dragons that Pyre brought back. You must be Cynder right?"

The gears inside Cynder's head turned quickly, processing the information. Pyre; Pyre was the dragon responsible for bringing the dragons back here at the Temple. He was also Flame's father. He also left awhile ago to bring back the second batch of dragons back to the Temple. So Manuel being here probably meant he just got back. She smirked to herself. Zaze wasn't the only smart dragon around.

"I am. Nice to meet you Manuel," she replied.  
"The pleasure is mine. I never knew I would meet you face to face."

"And you're not scared of me?" she asked.

"Honestly?" Manuel smiled sheepishly. "A bit."

"Well, that's a given." Cynder smiled. "Don't worry I don't bite."

0 = 0 = 0

Flame sat there, waiting patiently for his father to finish talking with the rest of the other Guardians. Ember stood by next to him, resting her head on his shoulders. He was mentally preparing himself for the supposed confession to his father. His dad always wanted him to hook up with someone. He wondered what his reaction would be when he breaks the news.

After finally finishing his talk with Cyril, Pyre turned around and smiled, seeing his son.

"Hey Dad," he greeted.

"Come here, Flame."

Ember smiled, seeing Flame hug his dad. It reminded her of her life back then. How simple it was, before everything changed when the apes came. Pyre glanced up and saw her looking at the two of them. Breaking the hug, he sat up straight, and looked at two of them. Somehow, an idea began to form in his head.

"Is there something you want to tell me son?" he asked.

Flame scratched his chin, feeling a bit nervous. "Well, there is dad."

Pyre raised his brow. "What is it?"

"Well…you see…" he bit his lips. Unknowingly, his tail began to roam around and coiled around Ember's. Pyre saw this, and his idea was confirmed.

"Ember and I are, um…" Flame glanced at Ember. "…kind of together now. I hope that's okay with you."

Pyre sighed. A warm smile then crept upon his face. "Son…that's okay with me. That's actually quite great!"

"See Flame, you had nothing to worry about."

"Ember, can I ask a favor from you?"

"Yes Pyre?"

"Please take care of him," Pyre said.

"Understood."

"Wait! Aren't I supposed to be the one taking care of her?" Flame asked, surprised at the turn of things.

"You should be. But I think I should lead things for now." Ember then nuzzled him. "You're fine with that right?"

"I-I guess. But, Dad, seriously, you're cool with this right?"

"Quite cool, even though I am a fire dragon. But Flame?"  
"Yeah?"

"I am expecting grandkids, okay?"

"DAD!"

Ember just blushed at the comment.

0

Spyro was walking through the halls of the temple. He didn't have a specific destination in mind. He was just walking around to try and clear his mind. Sparx was starting to get worried about him though. He noticed that his brother seemed distracted by something.

"Hey bro, are you okay?" Sparx asked. "You've been walking aimlessly around the temple for about two hours now." Spyro looked over his shoulder to where Sparx was sitting, his expression was unreadable.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't notice." Spyro said. "I guess I'm just a little distracted."

"What's on your mind, Spyro?"

"I'm just trying to relax like Zaze suggested. But I can't help wanting to go to the Training Dojo to train more." Sparx could tell that Spyro was tense just from the feel of the shoulder muscles he was sitting on.

"Knowing Zaze's reputation so far, I'd suggest you listen to him. But maybe I should go against what he says and suggest you go to the Training Dojo."

"Okay. You go on ahead and wait for me there. I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

"Okay. See you there." Sparx said.

Sparx flew off of Spyro's shoulder and down the hall to the Training Dojo. Once Sparx was out of sight, Spyro headed to the bathroom.

As Spyro headed down the halls, he noticed several of the new dragons that had arrived earlier. He saw two earth dragons, a male and a female, perhaps brother and sister, who were hanging around Terrador. He saw three fire dragons, two males and one female, one of the males looked like he could've been part electric dragon, since his underside and wings were an electric yellow. He saw an ice dragon and an electric dragoness walking down the hall together, seemingly as a couple. He saw an ice dragoness in the infirmary, even though she didn't seem sick.

Finally, Spyro got to the bathroom. He did his business as usual. Going to the sink, splashed some water on his face to try to help himself focus. When he looked in the mirror, he realized how tired looking he looked. For a better word, he looked haggard.

"Maybe all this training I've been doing lately is taking its toll on me." Spyro said to himself.

Spyro then left the bathroom and headed toward the Training Dojo.

0

Sparx was at the Training Dojo waiting for Spyro. He had his arms crossed, getting impatient at how long it was taking Spyro to go to the bathroom.

"What is taking him so long?" Sparx asked himself. "Is Spyro constipated or something?"

Sparx' thoughts were interrupted when Spyro came through the doors

"What took you so long to get here?"

"Did it really take me that long to get here?" Spyro asked, receiving a nod from the dragonfly. "Sparx, do I look tired to you?"

"Well, maybe a little."

Spyro thought about Sparx' answer for a moment before starting his training.

0

Zaze was walking down the hall wondering what the others were doing. He hadn't seen Cynder since morning, and Flame and Ember were obviously together, talking with Pyre. Spyro was busy, and hopefully, wasn't training; Sparx must've been with him. Volteer wasn't in sight, as well as the other guardians. They were probably busy with their Guardian duties.

Once again, Zaze didn't like to admit it, but he was bored. His mind began to wonder, and he soon was talking to himself to keep himself entertained as he walked.

"If my life was a story, this would be the part where something radical happens. Something to move the plot forward; or at least give a sense of plot development."

And with the power vested upon the author, he did what the character requested; as they say, be careful what you wish for.

As Zaze walked, he happened to pass by the hallway where his room was. It was the same old, same old hallway. Clean floor, textured walls, half open door leading to his room. Zaze stopped the moment the thought crossed his mind. Half open door leading to his room? The last time he remembered, he closed it. No one normally goes into a dragon's personal quarters, unless they were sharing the room. Unless…

The thoughts of the one who messed up his room crossed his mind. Zaze immediately hugged the wall. He might just catch the criminal red handed. Sneaky as a dragon can be, he cautiously leaned and tried to hear if anyone was inside. It was quiet; too quiet. Maybe the deed had been done already. There was only one way to check.

0

Cyril was on his way to the infirmary to see the new healer, Alyssa, to find out why she slapped him. On his way, he thought he saw Spyro walking down the hall. But he disregarded it and entered the infirmary to see Alyssa with a young ice dragoness.

"The problem is that you're using a little too much redvine root. But other than that, you're doing well, Latis. Redvine Gel is a difficult healing agent to make." Alyssa said to the young ice dragoness.

"Thanks Alyssa." Latis replied before putting the ingredients away and going back to her room.

"I see you've already taken on a personal student." Cyril said, getting Alyssa's attention.

"Latis has been my student for a while now." Alyssa said as she returned her focus on her work.

"I see. The reason I came to see you is because I needed to know something." Cyril's expression did a complete flip as he went from gentle to aggressive. His pride also added more to the fiery emotions that burst from him. "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO HIT A GUARDIAN?! AND IN FRONT OF ALL OF THOSE DRAGONS NO LESS!" Alyssa was taken aback by Cyril's sudden outburst. But like Cyril, Alyssa was also angry.

"OH YEAH?! WELL WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO TALK TO ME LIKE THAT AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO ME?!"

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for typing a portion of this chapter.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	29. Chapter 29 Coldness

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 29

Coldness

A few minutes past, as Spyro did what he always did, training. Sparx was there, watching his brother spar against some dummies that were being sent at him, left and right. Spyro smacked one, then two, then blew fire at the others that were soon coming towards him. Sparx sighed to himself, and shook his head.

Zaze was right. His brother was definitely too high strung. He needed to loosen up. And this idea was all the more strengthened when Sparx saw just how…hungry looking Spyro looked when he smashed two dummies together. He was like a predator. And all these dummies were his prey.

"Dude, seriously man, ignore what I said earlier; you need to relax," said Sparx, when the session seemed to be over.

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked, panting slightly.

"I mean, can you see yourself? All you do is train and train. You need to lighten up man." Just then, Spyro cringed grabbing his head. "See, even your body is agreeing with me. I think your headaches are your body's way telling you to rest."

Spyro grunted, looking at him. "You think so?"

Sparx nodded. "I know so."

Spyro sighed, and then looked at Sparx. "Well, family does know best. I think, I'll lie down for a while."

"You go do that Spyro."

And with that Spyro left the Training Dojo.

0

Summoning all his courage, he slammed the door open.

"AHA! I finally—!" Zaze cut himself off as he looked around. "DANG IT! I was close. He got away."

He got away indeed. The crime had been done. His room was a total mess. It was like the first time, except in this case, it was a lot worse; and with different elements used. A part of the floor was frozen with ice and the ceiling were line with stalactites made of ice. The cushions he used to sleep in were wet with water.

He sighed. "This is going to be a pain. How am I supposed to sleep—"

A sudden scream cut him off. Zaze immediately kicked into high gear. It came from the Temple Grounds. And it sounded distressed. His room can come later. Right now, someone needed help. Zaze thought for a moment. Running through the Temple would take too much time. It would be much faster if he just jumped out the window.

And he did just that.

0

"I appreciate you taking the time to walk me around Cynder, but you don't really have to," said Manuel. The two were walking down the brick path that was heading to the Temple Grounds.

Cynder shook her head. "It's okay. And besides, I've got nothing better to do anyway. Flame and Ember are busy. Spyro's at the training dojo as always; and Zaze is probably fooling around somewhere."

"Zaze? You mean the dragon earlier?"

"You've met him then?"

"We've been introduced."

"Oh really now?

A thought suddenly crossed Cynder's mind.

"Manuel, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you think of Zaze?"

"Uh…I don't think I can answer that yet."

"I mean first impression."

"Oh, in that case, well…" Manuel scratched his chin. "He seems nice; friendly. He appears to me as a dragon who takes others' feelings into consideration before his own."

"Why would you think that?" Cynder asked.

"It's just how he words everything. It's like he carefully picks his words so that he won't offend anybody."

"Wow, that's your first impression of him? And you only just got introduced!"

"That's what I think anyway. He just seemed careful about what he said. Why do you ask?" Manuel then grinned mischievously, "Do you have your eyes on him?"

Cynder was caught off guard by the question. "Uh, no actually."

"Is it because he's gay?"

That seriously caught her off guard.

"What makes you think Zaze is—"

Cynder was cut off as a scream suddenly interrupted her sentence. The two looked to where the direction came from. It wasn't far from where they were. And it sounded rather distressed. No time to fool around. Cynder looked at Manuel, who seemed to be thinking the same thing. Without even talking, the two immediately bolted, wondering what happened.

They rounded immediately at the corner, and saw the incident.

A few steps in front of them was a dragon. And that dragon was encased in ice. As they arrived, they saw Zaze running there as well. It was most likely for the same reason they were there. The cause of the scream.

"ZAZE!" Cynder called out.

"Cynder, what happened?!" Zaze asked as he panted.

"I don't know. We just got here," Cynder explained.

"It's just ice. I can take care of this," Manuel said as he moved toward the ice.

Cynder glanced at Manuel as he was about to use his own ice powers to break the ice. But as Cynder looked at the ice crystal, something didn't feel right. She didn't know what the feeling was, but there was something familiar about the feeling. And Cynder didn't like it. Having a bad feeling about the ice crystal, she called out to Manuel.

"No, wait, DON'T!" But Cynder was too late. Manuel screamed in pain when he touched the ice.

"Are you okay?" Zaze asked as he and Cynder ran over to Manuel.

"I don't know who did this. But it must've been a very powerful ice dragon," Manuel said, "The ice is too cold to touch. My paw is already numb from the cold. It's a good thing I'm an ice dragon, or else that might've been more damaging.

"Something about that ice doesn't feel right," Cynder said.

"We need to do something!" Zaze said, "But if not even an ice dragon can touch that ice, how do we save that dragon?"

"Even if we had a fire dragon to use the fire element to melt the ice, that ice is so cold that by the time the dragon was freed, it would be too late." Manuel said as he held his paw, trying to get the feeling back into it. Zaze put a claw to his chin to think.

"If we can't touch it, and melting it isn't an option, then we need to try something else," Zaze said, "If elements won't work, then we have to use brute force."

"So what? Do we get Terrador to break the ice?" Cynder asked.

"We don't have time for that." Zaze then began to channel his elemental power into his body. Cynder recognized this technique.

0 = 0 = 0

The Convexity beam collided head on with the firewall overpowering it completely. The firewall strained but inevitably dissipated under the constant stream of energy. Flame gasped as the Convexity beam shot through the firewall. Out came the shout of excruciating pain as it hit him dead on. This was going out of paws, way too fast for them too handle. If they didn't do anything, Flame would be disintegrated into nothing.

Thinking fast, Zaze decided to do the best thing he could do. And that was to get Flame out of the line of fire. He didn't exactly want his best friend to die, now did he? But he had to do it in a fashion that wouldn't get him hit from the crossfire. To do that, he had to be fast. He smiled. That was one thing he could do. Summoning all his energy, he channeled all his elemental power down to his body, spreading it evenly across his muscles. He momentarily shivered, his muscles jump starting at the sudden rush of power.

Cynder and Ember watched as Zaze began to glow a slight hue of yellow, before electricity began to crackle around him. In a blink of an eye, he charged, headed straight to Flame. The two were taken by surprise. The speed he had was incredible. But Cynder quickly regained her composure. She realized what he was going to do, and she knew she had to do something too. She ran towards Spyro, going to put a stop to him.

0 = 0 = 0

"Zaze, what are you doing?!" Cynder questioned.

"I used this ability to enhance my speed to help Flame before. Now I'm doing it to increase my power. I'm gonna smash that ice," Zaze said.

"But don't you remember what happened last time you used that ability?" Cynder asked.

"Well, can you think of another idea that wouldn't take too long?" Zaze said. Cynder lowered her head in defeat. "I thought so. If I hurt your feelings, I am sorry for that. I didn't mean to. But we are pressed for time."

Zaze began to shiver, just like last time, as he felt his muscles becoming super-charged. He then began to glow a golden hue, indicating that he was ready. He then ran over to the ice crystal and attempted to claw at it. He was quick in his work, leaving little time for him to be affected by how cold the ice was.

Chunks of ice were starting to fall from the ice. They were small at first. But as Zaze continued his digging, the chunks were becoming bigger and bigger. Cracks were also beginning to form in the ice. With one last thrust of his claw, Zaze managed to cause the ice to completely shatter, freeing the dragon within…or to be more specific, a dragoness.

Zaze attempted to lift up the dragoness to see if she was okay. But he couldn't when he saw that his paws were frozen in a layer of ice. He was so focused on freeing the dragon that he hadn't noticed how cold his paws were from the ice. Zaze suddenly screamed for two reasons; because of the sudden sensation for coldness on his paws, and because of a sudden twitch caused from the after affects of his ability.

Manuel went to check on the dragoness while Cynder went over to see if Zaze was alright. "Zaze, are you okay?!"

"I'll be fi-fine. But my pa-paws…" Zaze lifted up his paws to Cynder, trying his best to hold off the twitching as he showed her his frozen paws. Cynder then tried to help Zaze to his feet.

"Manuel, can you can carry that dragoness to the infirmary while I help Zaze get there?" Cynder asked, feeling the jolt of electricity as Zaze continued to twitch.

"I'm on it," Manuel said as he lifted the dragoness onto his back and headed to the infirmary, followed by Cynder and Zaze.

0

Sparx was flying down the halls of the temple in the direction of where he heard a scream. Being as small as he was, he wasn't very fast. As he flew, he came across four dragons, two of which he recognized. They were Cynder and Zaze, the latter twitching and his paws frozen. One of the other dragons was carrying the other, who appeared to be unconscious and shivering. Sparx flew over to Cynder and Zaze.

"Hey guys, what happened? What was that scream?" Sparx asked.

"All we know is tha-that a dra-dragon was fro-frozen i-ice," Zaze said, his twitching getting really bad now. Sparx noticed how bad Zaze was twitching.

"Did he use his charge up ability again?" Sparx asked.

"It was the only way we could break the ice," Cynder said as Zaze lifted up his frozen paws to Sparx, "I have a bad feeling about this ice. Something doesn't feel right."

"By the wa-way, where's Spyr-ro?" Zaze asked.

"He's in his room resting right now. He had another one of his headaches again," Sparx explained. Cynder was having her doubts.

"That doesn't sound right. Even if he had a headache, he would've come to help a dragon who's in trouble," Cynder said.

"Well may-maybe he's asle-sleep," Zaze stuttered.

"I wouldn't be surprised. Any dragon would be exhausted after…uh…" Sparx said, almost giving away that Spyro was training when Zaze advised not to. Zaze stared at Sparx questioningly.

"After wha-what?" Zaze asked. Sparx sighed.

"Spyro was training again. And to be honest, he was starting to scare me," Sparx came clean.

"Dar-Darn it! I to-told him to rela-relax!" Zaze stuttered, "We'll ha-have to deal wi-with that later. Ri-Right now, I nee-need to get to th-the infirma-mary."

With that said, Cynder and Zaze with Sparx followed the direction that Manuel went with the dragoness.

0

In the infirmary, Zaze was once again forcing down the drink that would help stop his twitching. And like before, he looked as if he was about to vomit. The dragoness that Zaze saved was now awake, but she was shivering badly. Even ice dragons have their limits. And being trapped in ice that cold for as long as she was trapped easily surpassed her limits.

Flare was in the infirmary at the time. And thanks to some quick thinking combined with a general motherly instinct, Flare was laying in bed with the young dragoness. Flare was wrapped around her, using her own body heat to help keep the young dragoness warm. And being a fire dragoness meant more heat.

Alyssa walked over to the dragoness to ask what happened.

"Latis, what happened? Who did this to you?" Alyssa asked, not as gently as she normally would talk to a patient. The dragoness named Latis shivered as she tried to recall the events.

"I…I'm not exactly sure. It all happened so fast," Latis said, "I was just walking around the temple to get to know where everything was. When I went into the temple grounds, I just remember suddenly being frozen in ice."

"So you didn't see who did this to you?" Alyssa asked.

"Well…I do remember, after being frozen and before I blacked out, I remember that I thought I saw a dark dragon. I didn't get a good look at the dragon though," Latis said.

"A dar-dark dragon?" Zaze stuttered, listening in on the conversation, "I wonder if this is the same dragon that's been me-messing up my room. My name's Za-Zaze."

"If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't be here right now," Manuel said.

"And you're the second dragon he saved the life of with that ability," Sparx pointed out.

"My name's Latis. I guess I should thank you for saving my life, Zazaze." Latis introduced herself.

"No, my name is…" Zaze paused as he let another twitch pass before he continued, "…Zaze. And you don't need to tha-thank me. I'm sure any dragon in my position would've done the same thing if they could." Cynder then stepped forward, getting Latis' attention.

"The ability that Zaze used has its negative after-affects. It causes him to have a bad twitch for a while. My name's Cynder," Cynder said before noticing Latis seemed uncomfortable, "Is something wrong?"

The only thing that was on Latis' mind at the moment was remembering seeing a dark dragon when she was frozen…and Cynder was a dark dragon. Realizing what Latis was probably thinking, Manuel stood forward.

"Cynder isn't the one who attacked you. She was with me the entire time," Manuel explained.

"That's good to know," Latis said, still slightly nervous. Then she turned to Alyssa, "Alyssa, is something bothering you?" Something then came to Zaze's mind.

"That reminds me. Did you talk to Cyril earlier?" Zaze asked. He then saw a fire in the ice dragoness' eyes.

"If by 'talk' you mean that he came by, then yes he did. But he's the reason I'm frustrated right now." This got Zaze's attention.

Flare, who was intently listening on the conversation, raised her brow.

"Did something happen between you and Cyril earlier?"

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for typing a portion of this chapter.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	30. Chapter 30 Problems

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 30

Problems

"Alyssa, is something bothering you?" Latis asked, noticing that she seemed frustrated. Something then came to Zaze's mind.

"That reminds me. Did you talk to Cyril earlier?" Zaze asked. He then saw a fire in the ice dragoness' eyes.

"If by 'talk' you mean that he came by, then yes he did. But he's the reason I'm frustrated right now." This got Zaze's attention.

Flare, who was intently listening on the conversation, raised her brow.

"Did something happen between you and Cyril earlier?"

"It was just that Cyril was being his usual arrogant…" Alyssa growled before taking a breath and calming down, "Like usual, Cyril couldn't see past his pride."

0 = 0 = 0

"I see you've already taken on a personal student." Cyril said, getting Alyssa's attention.

"Latis has been my student for a while now." Alyssa said as she returned her focus on her work.

"I see. The reason I came to see you is because I needed to know something." Cyril's expression did a complete flip as he went from gentle to aggressive. His pride also added more to the fiery emotions that burst from him. "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO HIT A GUARDIAN?! AND IN FRONT OF ALL OF THOSE DRAGONS NO LESS!" Alyssa was taken aback by Cyril's sudden outburst. But like Cyril, Alyssa was also angry.

"OH YEAH?! WELL WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO TALK TO ME LIKE THAT AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO ME?!"

"WHAT DID I DO TO YOU?! GREET YOU WARMINGLY WHEN YOU ARRIVED AT THE TEMPLE?!"

"NO! I'M TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WE'VE HAD!"

"WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY OTHER ENCOUNTERS!" Tears were beginning to form in Alyssa's eyes, but her anger was still holding strong.

"THAT'S EXACTLY MY POINT! I NEVER EXISTED TO YOU!"

"SO WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO GET AT?!" Alyssa started to calm down and spoke in a softer voice.

"Just…just get out."

"DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CAN'T…"

"I SAID **GET OUT!**"

Cyril lowered himself, making him look smaller. Just like what happened earlier, Alyssa had just hurt his pride. Cyril then backed up toward the door to leave, making sure to try to avoid another outburst from the enraged healer.

After Cyril left, Alyssa calmed down and realized she was trembling from anger. Now she was more upset than anything else. She was even starting to cry.

"Why do you have to be such a spoiled brat all the time, Cyril?"

0 = 0 = 0

Alyssa sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, we'll respect that. Cyril is a bit of um…arrogant dragon. What's between you and him, is between you and him. It's none of our business," said Flare.

"In that case then, I'll be heading off now. I want to get something to eat," said Cynder.

Sparx nodded. "I haven't had lunch yet. I'll come with. Zaze, you coming?"

"Just a minute." Zaze turned to Manuel as he twitched again. "How about you Manuel? Want to eat lunch?"

"I think I'll stay here." He then glanced to Latis, with a worried look.

"She'll be fine. Don't worry," said Zaze patting him at the back.

"I hope so."

And with that, Zaze, Sparx and Cynder left the infirmary.

0

"Thank goodness the twitching is gone," Zaze said with a sigh of relief. The three of them were seated at one of the tables at the Dining Hall. Sparx was beside him, eating a bunch of grapes and Cynder was across from him. She looked like she was in deep thought. For a while, no one spoke, and just enjoyed their lunch. But it was too quiet. Normally, one of them would have broken the ice by now. Sparx decided to speak his mind.

"It seems like Cynder is in her own little world now," Sparx said before getting swatted by Zaze.

"Oh sorry, Sparx. It was a twitch," Zaze lied before bringing his attention to Cynder, "Cynder, you've been awfully quiet for a while now. Is something bothering you?"

Zaze's question snapped Cynder to focus. "Huh? Sorry, what was that?"

"Is something bothering you?" Sparx asked as he rubbed his now sore wings. "You're too quiet, and it's making me nervous."

Cynder sighed. "I don't know guys; I'm just thinking…"

"About what?" Sparx asked, looking at her.

"About earlier; that ice…it didn't…it seemed out of place," she said.

Zaze's brows rose. "What do you mean?"

"I…I can't explain it. It felt familiar, at the same time, it doesn't. Like that feeling you get when you've seen something before, except in this case you feel it instead of seeing it."

"So, let me get this straight," Zaze said scratching his chin. "It's like déjà vu, except it's not déjà vu."

Cynder sighed. "Well if you put it that way, it sounds stupid."

"Maybe you're just thinking too much. We all are still shocked that somebody attacked Latis," Sparx said. "And a dark dragon at that."

"Yeah, something tells me we'll be seeing more of this guy; hopefully not though."

"I don't think the Guardians are going to let this one slip by. A dark dragon lurking around the Temple isn't good for us. Most of the dragons here aren't even experienced in dealing with them."

"Really? I think I can handle them in a fight," said Zaze.

"But what about the others?"

"I…yeah…good point."

"Anyways there's also something else that's been on my mind for a while now. Zaze, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"How do you that?"

"Do what?"

"That thing you do, that has you ending up twitching badly."

"Oh, you mean that thing."

"Yeah, I've also been wondering how you do that. I don't think I've ever seen it before," said Sparx.

"Well, I just…do it. I just let my element course through my body and voila, my body gets supercharged, enabling me to zip and zoom. I don't know why it causes me to twitch though. Maybe because I haven't fully perfected it yet."

"I think you should teach that to Spyro," said Cynder.

"I don't think he should. We're actually trying to stop Spyro from training so much."

"Huh? Why?"  
"Haven't you noticed? All Spyro does is train and train everyday. It's not doing him any good. He needs to relax. Loosen up, like Zaze and I."

"Well…you do have a point," Cynder replied. "Lately that's all he's been doing."

"Yeah, and we're trying to change that," said Zaze.

"And we're doing it as fast as possible because I think he's been having headaches because off it," said Sparx.

"Headaches? You mentioned that earlier, but I didn't know it was this serious." Cynder asked. "Since when?"

"I think his headaches started about the time of that party when the first group of dragons arrived," Sparx said as he scratched his chin, "Maybe part of it has to do with stress caused by this sudden arrival of so many dragons. He did grow up in a village of dragonflies after all. And a small village at that."

"It does sound plausible," Zaze said, "All of this excitement is probably causing stress. And that stress needs relief; his training; the combination of the excitement and the stress on his body from training may be what's causing the headaches."

"You put allot of thought into this, haven't you?" Cynder asked.

"Believe it or not, I just came up with it on the spot," Zaze said with a slight laugh. "Come to think of it, Spyro's headaches started at about the same time my room was destroyed. I wonder if this dark dragon is the one who ruined my room, and maybe he has something to do with Spyro's headaches."

"You're still looking for that dragon that destroyed your room?" Cynder asked.

"You yourself aren't in the clear yet, missy."

"Then please, Mr. Detective, what incriminating evidence did you find?"

"You found more clues?" Sparx asked.

"Yeah, I did. As a matter of fact, I should tell you guys, that whoever messed up my room during the party is still here. My room just got messed up earlier, again."

"What?" Both Cynder and Sparx were surprised.

"Yep; I was surprised too. I thought it was just a one time thing. But I'm guessing it isn't."

"What happened?" Cynder asked.

"The dragon froze my room solid. It's covered in ice," Zaze stared outside for a brief moment. "And judging by how time passed now, I'm guessing my room is probably soaked now with water, because the ice would've melted by now."

"That's harsh," said Sparx. "But the ice is the clue, right?"

"Yes it is. But things don't add up yet."

"Why? More clues mean more leads right?" Cynder asked.

"Only if the evidence were linked with each other; in my case, they aren't."

"Huh?" Sparx's brow rose.

"But enough about my room, I'll worry about that later. I'm more worried about Cyril."

"Oh right, what is up with Cyril? I wasn't there to meet the dragons earlier, woke up late," Cynder said.

"Likewise, except I was with Spyro," said Sparx.

"Well, to get you two up to speed, you know the new healer at the Infirmary right?"

"Yeah; I thought she was conveniently there when we arrived. I didn't know she was the new healer though," said Sparx.

"Apparently," began Zaze. "She and Cyril have a history with each other, a rather violent one."

"What?" Cynder's brow rose.

"When I was with Cyril earlier, she was all perky and dandy, and then all of a sudden," Zaze smacked his paw at the table. "BAM! She just slaps Cyril and says 'that's for what you did'."

Sparx nodded. "Wow, and I thought Cynder was bad when it was one of her days."

Cynder glared at Sparx. "Hey, I'm right here."

"Now you know. In any case, I'll go talk to the poor guy; I'll see you guys later."

"See you Zaze," said Sparx as he left.

"Well that's that. What do we do now Sparx?" said Cynder, a bored expression on her face.

Volteer and Flare just came into the room, all smiles and laughs. "I don't know about you, but me," Sparx smiled. "I'll be checking in on Volteer and see how he is doing with his love life."

It took a moment for Cynder to process that statement.

"Love life? Volteer? Sparx, what are you talking about?" Cynder asked, surprised at this new found information.

That was when it just occurred to Sparx that only he and Zaze were the only ones that know about Volteer's newly bloomed love life.

"I think I may have said too much, see you!" Sparx immediately flew away, heading to the happy couple.

"WAIT! Sparx! What is going on!?" Cynder asked, running after him.

0

"I'm sorry about my dad."

"What are you saying sorry for?" Flame shook his head.

"It's just…don't you feel—"

"Embarrassed? No, Flame, I don't."

"So it's okay, like with the whole egg thing?" Ember shook her head and laughed.

"Can you just drop it Flame? I think you're more embarrassed than I am about this."

"B-but I—"

Flame was cut off as Ember kissed him briefly. She then broke away and looked him in the eye.

"It's fine Flame. I would gladly bear your hatchlings."

Flame could only just giggle, as his heart fluttered. The two love-struck dragons were under the shade of a tree, at the Temple Grounds. Flame's dad, Pyre, had left a little bit earlier and went scouting for a home to live in at the city. Ember sighed as she rested her head on Flame's shoulder.

"Well what do we do now?" Flame asked.

"I don't know Flame…but I feel like taking a nap."

"What are you guys doing?"

"Zaze?"

Flame turned his head and saw the electric dragon smiling down on them.

"Taking a nap," he answered.

"I see," said Zaze. "Have you two seen Cyril by any chance?"

"I did actually," Flame replied. "I think he went back inside. Try looking inside the library."

"Thanks."

It was time to see how Cyril and Alyssa's confrontation went.

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for typing a portion of this chapter.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	31. Chapter 31 Pride

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 31

Pride

Zaze walked down and opened up the doors to the library. Right there sitting at a table with a book in his paws was Cyril. However, it was quite obvious that his mind was not on the book in front of him. Zaze walked up to Cyril and sat down in the seat across from him.

"Hey, Cyril. How was your encounter with Alyssa?" Zaze asked.

"Oh, uh, fine I suppose," Cyril lied, not willing to admit that his pride was injured earlier.

"Is something on your mind?" Zaze asked.

"What would give you an idea like that?"

"Because you're reading that book upside down."

Cyril looked at the book and he realized it was true. He began to turn the book around. But half way, he just chose to put the book down. By lying to Zaze, he may be protecting his reputation. But the damage to his pride had already been done. And lying about it was nothing to be proud of.

"To be completely honest, my encounter with Alyssa did not go as expected," Cyril said as he came clean, "It didn't really go much better than our first meeting. In fact, it may have gone worse."

"Really? What happened?"

Cyril then explained what happened earlier in the infirmary.

"I'd say that that was more than just a little worse than when you first saw her," Zaze said as he listened to Cyril's story, "If I could give some advice, I think-"

"I do not need advice from a child. I'm a guardian," Cyril said, puffing his chest out proudly.

"Actually, that's what I wanted to give advice about," Zaze explained, "You're always letting your pride speak for you. If you want to listen to Alyssa without her exploding on you, then you're going to have to swallow your pride and listen to what she has to say instead of you and her trying to one-up each other."

"What?! But I…but that's…I just…I don't…"

Once again, Cyril didn't have a comeback. Perhaps it was the affects of his encounter with Alyssa. But he couldn't think of a logical reason not to follow Zaze's advice. He tried his best to think of something in order to protect his pride. But this was all about his pride getting in the way.

What he was about to say was perhaps the hardest thing for him he has ever said.

"I…I guess…I guess you're right," Cyril said as if he was just learning how to say that sentence.

Zaze nodded. At least Cyril was making some progress in his personality.

"So Cyril, what are you going to do now?"

Cyril sighed and looked down the floor. "Follow your advice I guess."

"That's a good idea; try not to get slapped this time, okay?"

"For the record, she was the one that slapped me."

0

"So what shall we have for today's lunch?" Volteer asked.

"I don't know, what do you think? I'll let you decide," said Flare.

Volteer shook his head. "No-no-no, I'm a gentleman; as they say, ladies first."

Flare giggled and just smiled at the electric dragon.

The happy couple strode in and sat at one of the empty tables that were there at the Dining Hall. It was time for lunch. However, the two failed to notice the dragonfly and dragon that were heading towards them.

"WAIT! Sparx! What is going on!?" Cynder asked, running after him.

"Volteer!" Sparx called out.

The Electric Guardian looked up and saw the dragonfly. "Oh Sparx, what is it?"

"I didn't mean to say it! It just kind of spilled!"

"What?" Flare asked. That was when Cynder approached them.

"Hello Volteer, Flare," she addressed.

"Cynder, what is it?" Flare replied.

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"That you and Volteer are together?"

Cynder glanced at Volteer who just placed his face in his palm. Flare looked at her, and then to Volteer, then back to her. With a smile, she placed her paw on Volteer's shoulder and pulled him closer to her.

"Yes, we are."

Cynder blinked surprised at the confirmation. "Where was I when this was happening!? Since when!?"

Sparx just shook his head. "Why is it that everyone is surprised that Volteer is in a relationship? Then again, I was too…"

"Well…way back before, I guess," said Volteer.

Cynder smiled. "I'm happy for you Volteer. Does the other Guardians know?"

"Uh…no."

0

Zaze sighed as he walked down the Temple. He didn't know what was going on anymore. On one paw he had Cyril and Alyssa. Alyssa having this mystery grudge on Cyril that he had no clue about. Same could be said with the case of his room. The clues were contradicting each other and pointed to the only dragon that clearly wouldn't do such a thing. It was baffling. It was utterly confusing. There was also the case of the mysterious dragon that had attacked Latis. A dark dragon? Here at the Temple? The idea was preposterous. No one else had clearly seen the dark dragon aside from the victim.

Zaze was so lost in his thoughts he didn't even notice the dragon that was standing right in front of him. Before he knew it, he had collided with him.

"Oof!"

"Hey!"

"Ow…Sorry, Terrador?"

The green Earth Guardian was standing tall and proud in front of him, rubbing his shoulders.

"Hello there Zaze; be more careful next time."

"Okay; what are you doing?"

"I am currently debating to myself whether to postpone Spyro's training regime or not."

This caught Zaze's attention. This was also where he realized where they were. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, and now that he was, he noted that they were standing right in front of the Training Dojo entrance.

"Why?"

"Well, see for yourself," Terrador said, walking in.

Zaze followed right behind him, and immediately saw what Terrador was talking about. The Training Dojo, for a better word, look tattered and destroyed. The flooring in the middle had some cracks in it. The walls had some boulders here and there. The ceiling was singed and had burn marks on it. There was also warping and a smell of mildew along the edges of the floor and walls caused from a large amount of water from melted ice. It was a room that definitely showed that it was used for training quite heavily.

"Was it always this way?" Zaze asked, as he followed behind the green dragon.

"Well, not exactly. It only started looking like this once I started implementing Spyro's training."

Zaze hummed to himself as he looked around more. With a tap of his paw, a training dummy magically emerged and he examined it. Sure enough, this too bore the same treatment that the room had been having. Spyro clearly was putting in work when he trained, and it showed.

"I have a question about that. Why are you training Spyro? It's not like he needs it to save the world again, right?"

"Well, honestly, it wasn't me that wanted to train him," Terrador answered turning around to face Zaze. "It was Spyro himself that specifically asked me to train him, and he even said that he wanted me to train him to the best of his abilities."

Zaze scratched his chin. "Didn't you find that odd at all? Like a pacifist dragon like Spyro, would ask for training at a time of peace?"  
"I did actually; though I wasn't one to turn down a request. As the Ancestors once said, it's better to be prepared for the future than to be not at all."  
"So what's your decision then?"  
Terrador tapped his temple and thought for a moment.  
"Well I suppose it's best to postpone his training for a while; gives the moles some time to renovate the Training Dojo. "  
"That's good to hear."  
"And it'll also allow me to investigate the recent attack that had happen to Latis."  
"How did you-"  
"Flare informed me of the matter earlier. I've already briefed the moles to be on the lookout for such a dragon. We cannot have someone dangerous roaming around freely."  
"Do you have any idea what this could mean?"  
"Nothing solid yet, though I do have a theory I'd rather not have proven."  
"And that is?"  
Terrador's look darkened. "Malefor might be in play somehow. The Dark Master is the only one capable of creating a dark dragon."

Hearing the Dark Master's name sent chills down Zaze's spine. Malefor was the evil dragon that nearly destroyed the entire realm. Having the possibility of him being alive scared Zaze. Who wouldn't be? But this also raised a question in his head.

"Terrador, how does one create a dark dragon anyway?"

"Not much is known about how a Dark Dragon comes to be. But the lack of information is because Dark Dragons are linked to Purple Dragons in some way. At least that's the theory. If I go by how Cynder became a Dark Dragon, I would have to assume the Purple Dragon in question, Malefor in this case, used his power to amplify the darkness that already existed in her heart. We have reason to believe that she was raised so that she had a great amount of darkness in her heart. But with Spyro's power, combined with his kindness, helped to rid her heart of that darkness; or at least lowered it to a point where she has a reason to fight the darkness. However, she still has her memories; therefore she will always have a level of darkness in her heart. But many dragons do have a certain amount of darkness in their hearts." Terrador explained.

Zaze nodded. "So basically, what you're saying is that, purple dragons, like Spyro, can turn other dragons into dark dragons; like, normal dragons such as us can't turn by ourselves?"

"Summing it up, yes, Zaze," Terrador answered.

"Okay…so how does Spyro turn then?"

Terrador scratched his chin. "You know, you're very inquisitive. Normally dragons of your age don't normally sit around and bother to ask questions like this. You'd be more worried about the fact that a dark dragon is roaming around, rather than worrying how one becomes one."

"Well, for me, knowing is the first step in defeating an enemy."

"Spoken like a well experienced fighter too…"

Zaze just smiled sheepishly. "The things I say just come natural to me. I don't know how I do it."

"I can see that. In any case, as for your question, I think it's best you ask Spyro that. I don't really know how a purple dragon turns into a dark dragon, but Spyro has experienced it before. He may have an answer for you; or Cynder; whomever you prefer to ask."

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for typing a portion of this chapter.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	32. Chapter 32 Emotions

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 32

Emotions

Cyril was walking down the halls of the temple on his way back to the infirmary to try again to find out why Alyssa had a problem with him. This time, he was going to try and avoid letting his pride get in the way. It seemed strange to him since his pride has never been a problem for him…has it?

As he arrived at the infirmary, he noticed Alyssa coming out of the infirmary and closing the door. Cyril then walked up to her.

"Hello again, Alyssa," Cyril greeted, getting Alyssa's attention.

Alyssa turned around and saw Cyril, "I'm really not in the mood for this, Cyril," Alyssa groaned, "Latis is in the infirmary getting some peace and quiet to get some rest."

"What is that supposed to mean?! What mood?!" Cyril said, losing control and letting his pride get in the way temporarily. He then took a breath and tried to swallow his pride again, "I'm sorry about that outburst. But can you please tell me why you have a problem with me?"

Alyssa turned back to Cyril, her expression going from angry to a more questioning look as she saw the honesty in Cyril's eyes, "You really don't remember, do you?"

"I honestly don't remember," Cyril said, "But the name Alyssa does ring a bell. So I have a feeling that we have met before. And I must've done something to hurt you during that meeting."

"I apologize for earlier too," Alyssa said, "I thought you were just letting your pride speak for you earlier."

"Well, I was," Cyril said sheepishly, "But I was only letting my pride get in the way of letting me actually ask you what happened."

"Well, does the name Terrissa ring a bell?"

Cyril thought for a few moments when the name clicked, "Yeah! Terrissa was the dragoness that I was with after I was with a dragoness named Alyss…Alyssa," Cyril then realized why the name Alyssa rung a bell with him, "You're the Alyssa from the time I was in Guardian training."

"Yes I am. We were together for a short time. We even mated! But soon after we mated, you left me for that Earth dragoness, Terrissa! You acted like our time didn't mean anything!"

Cyril scratched his chin as listened to Alyssa, reliving what happened all those years ago, "I see. So what did I do wrong?"

Alyssa's eyes went wide in shock at what she just heard Cyril say. She tried opening her mouth to talk, but no words came to her. All she could do in response was slap Cyril again, knocking him to the ground. This time, she hit hard enough to leave claw marks along with a slight trickle of blood on his cheek.

"YOU MONSTER!" Alyssa shouted as tears filled her eyes. She then ran off in the other direction crying.

"Monster?" Cyril said as he watched Alyssa running down the hall. He picked himself up and rubbed his sore cheek, but pulled away when he felt the sting from the claw mark.

0

Zaze yawned as he walked down the halls of the Temple. The starts were now twinkling up high at the sky and the moons were right there with them. The Temple had now gone quiet and the city below was now slowly going to sleep. Zaze didn't notice the time he had spent chatting with Terrador. So now, as he headed to his room, he smiled wryly. His room, a shadow of its former glory, subject to the torment of his mystery attacker; whoever this dragon was, he seemed like he wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Zaze's musings were stopped when he heard a particular sound. A sound he could not ignore. It was the sound of someone crying. His curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to follow it to its source. He was greeted with a sight he did not expect. At the balcony were the earth dragoness, and the newly appointed healer of the Temple, Alyssa. Apparently she was the one crying.

He called out to her. "Alyssa….?"

The earth dragoness looked up and Zaze saw the tears streaming down her face, the moon making it shine. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"My naivety happened." Zaze sat beside her and listened intently.

"I was a fool. I thought what we had had been special."

"We?" Zaze had someone in mind. "You and Cyril have a history with each other?"

"I guess it's only fair that I explain my harsh actions to Cyril of recent. Yes Zaze. We did have a history with each other."

Zaze scratched his chin. "Were you two mates?"

Alyssa closed her eyes and wiped the tears. She bit her lip, as if trying to digest the question. "I…thought…we were. Apparently I was too naïve to realize it then…and even now."

Zaze nodded to himself, finally getting a clear picture of it all. "What exactly happened?"

"I…" Alyssa looked for the right words. "Back then, we were a couple. I thought we truly were going to be mates. I loved him, and I thought for sure he loved me back. But…he was just using me. Just another dragoness he can lay with."

Zaze's brow rose. Did Cyril really?

"I eventually found out that he was cheating on me. One day I happened to come over to his room, so we can…" Alyssa stopped herself, glancing at Zaze. Zaze on the other hand somehow picked up on what she was trying to say and just said for her.

"So you two can mate. I'm old enough, and had been told about this."

"Oh, good," she said. "Anyways, yeah, I was feeling antsy, and wanted some relief. So normally, I went to my boyfriend. However, I happen to come at the wrong moment. I saw them. They were…mating. I never imagined Cyril could do such a thing to me. I thought he was serious. Apparently I was the only one that thought that."

"After that day, I stopped seeing him. I instead wanted him to see me. To ask forgiveness from what he had done. That's what a normal dragon would do. That's what anyone would do. But he didn't. A few days later, I saw him with another dragoness. Without a care in the world, like nothing happened; a grin plastered across his face. I thought we had something special."

"So that's why you hate him so much; why all the scorn."

"Yes, Zaze. It's only natural for us females. Going to the present, I thought he had change. Overtime of being a Guardian made him mature. But he didn't. He was still the same arrogant self righteous bastard as he was back then. He forgot who I was and what he did. And that…I couldn't let that slip; so earlier…I reminded him. Told him finally why I slapped him the other day. And you know Zaze, you know what he said?"

Somehow Zaze didn't want to hear it. "What?"

"'So what did I do wrong?'" Alyssa answered. "There were so many things he did wrong, and he dared ask me that question. I had every part of my mind wanting to just hit him again and again, as hard as I could. And to top it off, I couldn't believe I fell in love with such a hideous excuse of a dragon."

Zaze shook his head. Was this really who Cyril was? Was this what he truly was? Zaze couldn't believe it. He looked down and realized his paw had scrunched up to a fist and was shaking terribly. His strong sense of wanting to help was getting to him. He knew what he had to do. Someone had to talk some sense into Cyril.

"I'll go talk to him," Zaze said, standing up.

Alyssa looked at him incredulously. "What can you do? You're not even an adult. Frankly, you shouldn't involve yourself in matters such as this Zaze. I shouldn't even be telling you this. You're still young. Learn from my mistake, and choose who you love wisely. You don't want to end up like me."

"Understandable." Zaze nodded. "But the difference between you and me is that I am a male. And as a male, I can't let anyone get away with this sort of thing. No one deserves to be treated like this."

Alyssa's brow rose. "You speak as if you have experience."

Zaze shook his head. "No. I just know the right words to say. Goodnight."

And with that, Zaze left, heading to his room for some much needed sleep.

0

The next morning, the light of the morning's sun shone on Zaze's face, stirring him awake. Normally he would try to turn away, and get more sleep. But this morning, Zaze was more than willing to get out of his bed. He didn't get a good night's sleep because of his bed still being damp from all the melted ice. He had a rough night. Tiredly, he sat up and soon after, left. He decided to go outside on to the temple grounds where it was sunny to let his body dry off. It was working, though the damage had been done. He felt a shiver run down his spine.

"You're usually not up this early, are you Zaze?" Cyril asked as he came up from behind Zaze.

"Because of whoever messed up my room, my bed is soaked," Zaze said, "I only slept there because I have nowhere else to sleep." He sniffled.

"I'd see if I could get you a new room. But all of the rooms are full now," Cyril said.

Zaze's brow rose. "Why would they be full? There's only like…I don't know, twelve of us here? Surely there's one spare room I could use."

Cyril shook his head. "Technically, no; there are currently nineteen residents here in the Temple."

Zaze blinked. "What?"

"There are us, the four guardians, Sparx, Spyro, Cynder, Flame, Ember, you, Latis…Alyssa," his tone darkened in mention her name. "And the other seven dragons you probably haven't met yet."

"How did I not meet them?"

"They're busy settling in. Most of them are at the Warfang City at the moment. I classified them as residents since technically they'd be living here in the near future."

"That is when classes start, right?"

"Yes, Zaze."

"Can I at least get someone to fix up my room?" Zaze asked.

"Sure thing; I'll get a mole right to it."

Zaze nodded. "Thanks."

For a moment there, Zaze panicked. He thought there were additional seven suspects to his investigation. But apparently he was wrong. It was time to move on to the next agenda. And that was with him talking to Cyril about Alyssa.

"What is it?" Cyril asked, noticing how hard Zaze was looking at him.

"Can we go to the dining hall? We need to talk."

"Okay," Cyril replied.

Zaze and Cyril went back inside and headed to the dining hall. The entire way there was an awkward silence between them; it was only broken by the occasional sniffle from Zaze because of his now developing cold. But it also told Zaze one thing too. It was still early in the morning and only the two of them were awake yet. When they entered the dining hall, they got their breakfasts and sat at the empty seats.

"You wanted to talk?" Cyril asked.

"Yes. About what you did to Alyssa," Zaze said. "You need to apologize."

Cyril looked at him flatly. "Apologize for what?"

"Well for starters, for what you did!"

"Zaze, there was nothing wrong in what I did."

Zaze looked at him flatly. "Really?"

"I'm a member of a noble family. And nobles never do anything that would be seen as shameful," said Cyril puffing out his chest.

Zaze couldn't believe what he had just heard. Was Cyril's thinking like this? Being a noble gives you special 'privileges'?

"How can you say that? What you did was cheating; especially on someone that truly cared for you."

Cyril glanced at Zaze. "It's only cheating if you have feelings for the other. And I never had any special feelings for Alyssa."

Zaze's brow rose. "So basically, you thought the two of you were in it for the fun of it?"

"Exactly." Cyril smiled smugly.

The smile on Cyril's face brought about something inside Zaze. He never imagined he would ever meet someone as…twisted as Cyril was. The mere thought of a dragon toying with someone's feelings made his blood boil. No one deserved to be treated like that. But he had to keep control of himself. His cold wasn't making things easy.

"That's where you're wrong Cyril." Zaze didn't know it, but his tone was slowly rising. "The problem with you is that you think everything revolves around you. Well, sadly no. If Alyssa was just glad to have such an amorous and open relationship, why do you think she's hounding you now?"

Cyril shrugged. "She has no reason. Any dragoness should be honored that they got to be chosen by a member of a noble family. In fact, I've been rather generous. I've been giving several dragonesses the honor to be with a noble. If anything, Alyssa should be thanking me."

That was it. Someone had to knock some sense into Cyril.

"That's it! I've had it with you!" Zaze snapped. His body was moving on its own accord, as he slowly stood up and approached Cyril.

"Whoever taught you that nobles could do anything they want is just downright wrong! Playing with other dragons' feelings is sick, twisted and cruel. Nobody deserves to be treated like that. There is nothing noble in doing it. If you had said to her that you were just in it for the fun, there wouldn't be any harm since you already told her. But you didn't. Instead, you let her on that you truly care about her and was there for her. Alyssa thought she was experiencing true love."

Cyril himself wasn't backing down. He stood up and looked down at Zaze. "Now hold on. She had no reason to believe I loved her. I never told her once that I loved her."

Zaze wasn't fazed at Cyril staring him down. He stared right back.

"You didn't have to because by being with her, you showed it. You lied to her through your actions. If you were a noble dragon, you wouldn't have cheated on her; except you did. You call yourself a noble dragon yet your actions show otherwise. I may not speak for your clan but if I were, I'd say you bring disgrace and shame because what you did is anything but noble."

At this point, Zaze's voice was well above the normal speaking tone. He was shouting.

"You're not a noble dragon. You're an arrogant self righteous bastard douche who thinks the world revolves around him. Well I'm sorry to tell you it doesn't work like that. In this world, you rightfully get what you deserve."

Zaze didn't know it, but at that moment, his body released a clenched paw he didn't know he was holding.

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for typing a portion of this chapter.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	33. Chapter 33 Nobility

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 33

Nobility

It all happened swiftly.

One moment, Cyril and Zaze were arguing.

The next thing Cyril knew was that there was a paw headed straight at him. He flinched, barely evading the punch that was aimed at him.

But it never came.

Much to his surprise, Zaze realized his punch had stopped midway when he was grabbed by none other than, Latis. The ice dragoness was standing right beside him, giving him a flat stare. The paw she placed on his shoulder was more than enough to break his action. Zaze lowered his stance, staring back down the floor. He didn't know what came over him. But what soon came after was a ragged coughing fit. His cold didn't seem like it was letting up anytime soon.

Latis however turned to Cyril and for a moment, the two just stared at each other. But the silence was broken when Latis spoke.

"Think about what Zaze said. I probably won't be around to stop the punch next time. But you do deserve to have some sense knocked into you."

Cyril stared at her. "What-?"

But before he could even finish his sentence, he was smacked, hard on the cheek, by Latis. Cyril reeled in pain as he was slapped yet again. It seemed like it was becoming a recurring thing. He looked up and saw Latis leading Zaze away, who was still coughing.

"Come on Zaze, I need to check up on you. That coughing doesn't sound good," said Latis before they were out of the room.

0

Zaze laid down on one of the infirmary beds, coughing as he did so. The bed was stiff, and rigid, unlike the one in his room, but given his current situation, he couldn't be picky. This was definitely better than sleeping on a wet bed. Latis went over to one of the cupboards to see if she could find anything that could alleviate Zaze's cough. Amongst the vials and bottles of herbs and medicine, she found what she was looking for. It was a reddish powder, sitting inside one of the bottles. Taking it out, she then mixed it in water, placed on a small cup, creating a thick creamy, gooey looking solution. Satisfied with her work, she walked back to Zaze.

"Here, drink this. It will help to sooth your coughing," Latis said. "It won't taste good though."

"Thank you," Zaze barely said as he held back a cough.

Drinking it down, he immediately felt the effects of the medicine. The gooey solution began to seep down, coating his throat and quickly giving his tired lungs some rest. For the first time, he managed to take a deep breath, with no problem. As Zaze sighed and placed the now empty cup at the side, Latis saw something peculiar.

Zaze was sweating. Almost robotically, she held her paw on the electric dragon's forehead, surprising him.

"Zaze, you're burning up!" Latis exclaimed.

"I'll be okay, really," Zaze said with a sniffle, trying to brush her concerns off.

She shook her head adamantly. "You've got a fever! You are not okay!" Latis said

Latis grabbed Zaze's paw and held it in her own. The electric dragon blinked, wondering why she had done so. Her paw felt cold, a complete contrast from his burning body. Soon after though, Zaze felt a chill.

"What did you just do?" Zaze asked curiously.

"I lowered your blood temperature to cool your fever," Latis explained. "How did you catch a cold at this time of year anyway?"

"I dod't dow," Zaze said with a stuffy nose. "Baybe it had sobethig to do with sleepig od by bed while it was still wet."

"But why was your bed wet in the first place?"

"There's a dragon whose beed bessig up by roob. Last tibe, he left allot of ice that belted and soaked everythig."

"Uh…maybe you should stop talking for now. Your cold is making it a little hard to understand."

"Oh…sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Could you…let go of by paw?"

"What?" Latis looked down and saw that she was still holding his paw, and there was a layer of ice that was beginning to form around them. "Oh sorry!"

Latis pulled away, the ice cracking as she did so. Zaze gingerly held his paw close to himself, trying to warm it back up. Latis walked over to the cupboard to get something else to help aid Zaze's health, turning away before he could see her blush.

"I'm sorry about that. Usually I have good control over my element. Being frozen in that ice must've…" Latis was cut off by the sound of light snoring. She turned around to see Zaze lying on the bed now asleep. Latis smiled as she went to another cupboard to get a blanket for Zaze. She smiled. The way he was sleeping seemed cute to her for some reason. He looked so innocent. Carefully, as to not wake him, she tucked him in.

"You saved my life; I wish I could do more than this to return the favor," Latis said as she stood up. But she was held down by her tail. She looked to see that she froze her tail to the floor. "I should see if Alyssa knows what to do about my elemental powers acting up like this."

She looked back to Zaze and thought he looked so peaceful laying there. Only one thing could ruin the peace. And thanks to the power of the co-writer, it shall happen. Zaze suddenly began snoring loudly.

"Well, that ruined the moment," Latis said sarcastically to herself as she went back to make more medicine for Zaze's cold.

0

The clouds lazily drifted across the sky as the sun's rays shined down the busy and bustling city that was Warfang. Moles scurried about, busy with their day to day activities. Some carried wares, and were headed to the local market place. Others were hefting heavy construction equipment that was no doubt going to be used to repair the still damaged parts of the city. There were also dragons out and about, different colors and elements. Some were cleaning their homes. Others were out patrolling, just like the moles. Even though there was no longer the threat that was the Dark Master, security was still necessary. The city was beginning to be brought back to way it was before. It'll be a while though before the city would be returned to its full glory.

Amongst the busy crowd, an ice dragon deep in thought trudged onwards.

"You call yourself a noble dragon yet your actions show otherwise. I may not speak for your clan but if I were, I'd say you bring disgrace and shame because what you did is anything but noble."

The words echoed across his head, like a broken record. Never had the following string of words been said to him, directly, and by a mere young dragon. Was he really that bad? The Ice Guardian couldn't even answer himself. Or was it something else? Was he actually afraid to face the truth before him? Cyril thought deep and hard. Pride was the main issue with him. Did he really let it all go to his head?

Cyril kept on walking with no destination in mind. He just wanted to be alone for the moment. He was even beginning to question his guardianship as he walked. After all this time, did he truly deserve to be a Guardian? Was he fit to be a strong representative of his element, despite all of his actions? Cyril didn't know anymore.

His mindset was spiralling down.

"Cyril?"

The voice broke his train of thought, derailing it completely. He looked up to see a fire dragon looking down at him. At first he thought it was Ignitus, but he immediately discarded that idea. Ignitus was dead. It was none other than Pyre, who sported a worried look on his face.

"I have never seen you be so…" Pyre was thought of a word. He shook his head. "Are you okay?"

Cyril shook his head. "I don't know."

Pyre sat next to him. "I never see you around here Cyril."

"Huh?"

That was when Cyril realized where he was.

He was so lost in his thoughts; he didn't know where his legs were taking him. Apparently, he had stopped to sit down at one of the benches located near a park at the city. Pyre was telling the truth. He rarely went to this part of the city.

"You must be really bothered."

Cyril looked down the floor. "You could say that."

"Well, want to talk about it? Talking is always the best thing to do when you have problems."

"You sound like Zaze…"

"You mean that nice electric dragon?"

"Yes," Cyril sighed. Pyre did have a point. Talking was the best thing to do. "I'll bite. Let's talk."

"Okay," said Pyre. "What is it that's bothering you friend?"

"I guess…I should begin it with a question. Am I only a guardian because of my nobility?" Cyril asked sincerely, looking at Pyre.

"Why would you ask a question like that?"

"Well because..." Cyril sighed. "Things haven't been going right lately...Alyssa...Zaze...I think...no one really likes me. Do you like me? As a friend, you know personality wise and everything?"

Pyre raised his brow. "Personality wise, you can tend to be full of yourself sometimes," Pyre said bluntly, "But I do consider you a friend. Did Alyssa and Zaze say or do something that makes you think no one likes you?"

Cyril cringed at Pyre's statement. But it was an honestly refreshing statement. "Well...it's backwards actually. I just had a collision course with my past. Remember all those times I was fooling around with those dragonesses?"

"Yeah?"

"Well apparently one of them thought I was serious and well...it just came back to haunt me. Can't a dragon have more than dragoness?"

Pyre rubbed his temples as he thought about how Cyril used to be. He tried finding them memories. "Back then weren't your best days. A dragon usually will only have one dragoness. They will only have other dragonesses if their still searching for the one they want to spend the rest of their lives with."

"So you mean to say...what I did was wrong? Because of the fact that I was just in it for the fun of it?"

"That depends. I don't approve of it. But as long as the dragonesses know that you're in it just for the fun and are consensual about it, I won't say it's wrong. Did you make sure to let the dragonesses know you were just in it for the fun?"

That was the crucial point Cyril had been debating about.

"No…I...I didn't. Maybe that's why she's so angry at me. She thought I was serious..."

Pyre started rubbing his temples again as a memory was beginning to surface, "Who was this dragoness that you found out thought you were serious?"

"It's Alyssa."

Pyre's eyes shot open and anger began to well up within him, "That was you?! Alyssa came to me after a dragon cheated on her! She never told me who that dragon was, but she told me that they were together for several weeks! She told me that she wanted to be with that dragon for the rest of her life! She was willing to even have that dragon's eggs. She was so depressed after that she wouldn't leave her home for nearly an entire year, refusing to even see any friends!"

Pyre stood up and stared daggers at Cyril.

"You broke her heart, you ruined her life, and I think there's still a part of her that still wants to be with you! That's why she didn't tell me who that dragon was, because she still loved him even after she was hurt by him!" Pyre took a breath to try to calm down, "After learning it was you who did that, I don't know if I can respect you the same way now. What you did truly does make you a monster."

"I...I..."

Cyril wanted to say something. He wanted to defend himself, but no words came out of his maw. It would seem that even his mind was telling him he was wrong by abandoning him. Instead he just looked at the floor, trying to find the words to say. He just wanted to sit at a corner and be invisible for awhile. He was hit where it stung the most. It became clear to him now. What he did truly was wrong.

Pyre calmed down, knowing that Cyril wasn't the same as he used to be, "If you want to try and fix things, you should apologize to Alyssa and tell her that you truly know what you did wrong. And you can't just say it. You have to show that you're honest about being sorry."

Cyril sighed, remembering how that turned out. "I already did that...but I guess I messed that up by asking her what I did wrong..."

"Exactly. You didn't know what you did wrong."

"But now that I do, is that what I should apologize for?"

"You should apologize for not knowing that you did something wrong, apologize for using her, and most of all, apologize for breaking her heart. I'd also suggest that you do some thinking about your life. Nobility does NOT get you everything you want."

"I guess you're right. Heck maybe I only got my guardianship because of my nobility"

"I can't answer that for you. But would you be able to live with yourself knowing how hurtful you were?"

"No. I won't." Cyril sighed and looked up the sky. "I guess I did a lot of bad things and now, I have to make up for it."

0 = 0 = 0

Manuel stretched as he walked across the empty halls of the Temple.

"You're not a morning dragon, are you?"

He chuckled. "No, I'm not. How do you guys do it? How do you do it Flare?"

"Well, it all comes part of the job and it slowly becomes natural to you," the dragoness replied.

The fire and ice dragon walked down the hall and soon came out to the Temple Grounds. The air was cold and the sun was slowly rising above the horizon. Down below, the city itself was slowly waking up, as activity began to show. Overall, it was a good day to start the day.

That was…until the two happen to come across something they never expected.

Something no one ever wants to see in their entire life.

Manuel happened to glance over to the side, and saw something that piqued his curiosity.

"What's that?"

"Hm?" Flare looked to the direction where he was looking.

Manuel walked over and looked at the ground. He was unsure what it was until he sniffed it.

Blood.

"Its blood…" he said, eyes widening.

"What?" Flare said, immediately snapping to attention.

Manuel followed the now evident trail of blood. He looked up and saw where it all had come from.

Up a few paces ahead of them, lying haphazardly near a bush, unmoving and immobile…

…was a body.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Sorry for not posting last night guys. I forgot and only remembered it when I woke up this morning.**

**Yes.**

***puts on sunglasses***

**Stuff just got serious.**

**YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for typing a portion of this chapter.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	34. Chapter 34 Symptoms

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 34

Symptoms

Spyro yawned as he walked down the empty halls of the Temple. He had woken up that morning to find that he was alone in his bed. He and Cynder usually woke up at the same time. And even then, if one were earlier than the other, they'd just wait for the other to wake up. But Cynder wasn't there, prompting him to go look for her. After a few moments of walking, he happened to come across an ice dragon he had never seen before.

"Spyro!" the dragon called out. Apparently the dragon knew him.

"Yes?" From his tone, Spyro discerned that it was urgent. "What is it? Did something happen?"

"Yeah! Flare actually asked me to go look for you. Come on, I'll take you to her."

"Okay…thanks…who are you?" Spyro asked, following behind the dragon.  
"Wait, you don't know who I am?"

Spyro shook his head, smiling sheepishly. "No. Sorry. Who are you?"

The ice dragon shook his head. "No need to apologize. I arrived yesterday, with the other dragons."

"Oh I see," said Spyro. Other dragons DID arrive yesterday.

"The name's Manuel."

"I'm Spyro, even though you already know my name."

"You're kind of popular," Manuel joked.

Spyro smiled and followed behind the ice dragon. "So, Manuel, what exactly happened? Care to fill me in? Why is the Fire Guardian looking for me?"

"Honestly, I don't know. But what I do know is this." Manuel looked at him seriously. "Something BAD happened last night."

From Manuel's tone, Spyro discerned that this wasn't the ordinary bump in the night. He immediately began paying rapt attention.

"Go on."

"To be specific, someone got attacked…again."

"By what?" Spyro's brow rose. "Wait, AGAIN? What do you mean again?"

"Latis got attacked by the dark dragon the other day. Last night…he struck again."

Latis, another unfamiliar name; Spyro immediately classified the name as one of the dragons that arrived, same category as Manuel. But something irked him. A dark dragon attacked the other day? How did he not know about this? Where on earth was he when this happened? The question buzzed around in Spyro's head like an annoying fly. He wanted to kick himself for not being more aware of his surroundings, but he'll have to do it some other time. Right now he needed to focus. Everyone in the Temple was in danger, because of the dark dragon running around. And only he and Cynder had experience in fighting dark dragons.

It was time to get back in the groove, and put in some work.

"When did you guys find out?"

"Well…we um…I and Flare…" Manuel bit his lip, feeling a bit uncomfortable.  
"What is it?"

"We…early this morning." Manuel couldn't say it. He felt nauseous just by thinking of it.

"What was that?" Spyro asked.

Manuel gulped. Now was not the time to be queasy.

"We found the body earlier this morning."

0

Latis walked down the halls of the Temple, one destination in mind. After making and putting some medicine for Zaze at the side, she decided to go find Alyssa, to ask why her elemental powers were acting up. Freezing your tail on the floor wasn't a common thing. It normally happened to dragons that were young, a hatchling typically, who were still learning and harnessing their element. She on the other hand, was clearly no longer a hatchling. It bothered her, since she was practicing the arts of healing. And one needed precise control of their elements when they did such a delicate act. Maybe being frozen in an ice cube did more damage to her than she thought.

She rounded around the corner, and headed into the library. This was where her Master usually was. Entering the doors, her eyes landed upon a yellow scaled dragon that was arranging the books at the bookshelves. It was none other than the Electric Guardian, Volteer.

"Um, Volteer?" she called out.

The dragon didn't stop what he was doing, but glanced behind to see who it was. "Yes?"

"Is Alyssa in here?"

"She is actually." Putting a book to its proper place, he pointed down the path. "Just keep going straight. You can't miss her."

Latis nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome Latis."

Now knowing where she was, the ice dragoness walked over there and looked for her Master. She found her reading a tome that looked very old. It looked like it was about to fall apart. For a moment she hesitated, wondering if she should bother her Master. The look on Alyssa's face was concentrated; like she was even angry. Nonetheless she seemed rather busy, and her problem could wait. Just as she was about to turn around, her voice caught her.

"Yes, Latis, what is it?"

Latis sighed and faced her. "I'm sorry to bother you, are you busy by any chance?"

Alyssa shook her head and smiled at her. "No, not really; I'm just really having a hard time understanding this tome. It's very old and the language used is equally older."

"I'm sorry. I-I should just come back later."

"No it's okay. I'm tired of this book anyway." Alyssa then placed the book back to its shelf. It slid right in, even procuring a small dust cloud as it did so.

"What seems to be bothering you, my dear student?"

"Well, it's rather silly actually." Alyssa raised her brow, but kept on listening. "I froze my tail to the floor."

Alyssa's expression changed to being puzzled. "You froze your tail to the floor?"

"Yeah, I did. Is that normal?" Latis asked. "I mean, I know it's not normal for dragons of my age to have something like that happen, but given my case being frozen in ice and all…"

Alyssa went into deep thought and used her experience as a healer to assess the situation. Being frozen in ice does have its effects on dragons. One of them is having their tail frozen to the floor, for ice dragons at least. It wasn't a life threatening problem; more like an annoyance. It usually goes away in a day or so. But Alyssa had to be sure. This could be a symptom to a more serious problem.

"Where were you when this happened?"

"I was at the infirmary."

"Doing what?"

"I was making medicine for him."

"Him?" Now this irked Alyssa's curiosity quite greatly. Her eyes narrowed, a conclusion slowly forming in her mind. If she was right, there was definitely ANOTHER symptom Latis forgot to mention. "Medicine for whom?"

Latis smiled. "It was for Zaze."

"Zaze?" Alyssa's brow rose. "As in the electric dragon; the one who saved you?"

"Yes. That's him."

"Why would he need medicine?"

"He developed a cold from sleeping on a wet bed."

"Oh…I see…"

Alyssa looked at Latis with a knowing eye.

"What is it? Is it serious?"

Alyssa shook her head, thinking to herself. "I can't say for sure. Is there anything else? Another symptom you probably forgot to mention? Anything?"

Latis thought to herself. She looked back, and sure enough, found one.

0 = 0 = 0

"Could you…let go of by paw?"

"What?" Latis looked down and saw that she was still holding his paw, and there was a layer of ice that was beginning to form around them. "Oh sorry!"

Latis pulled away, the ice cracking as she did so. Zaze gingerly held his paw close to himself, trying to warm it back up. Latis walked over to the cupboard to get something else to help aid Zaze's health, turning away before he could see her blush.

"I'm sorry about that. Usually I have good control over my element. Being frozen in that ice must've…" Latis was cut off by the sound of light snoring.

0 = 0 = 0

"There is one."

"What was it?"

"My paw froze as well."

"Why? What were you doing?"

"I had to hold his paw. His fever was a bit high, so I lowered his temperature."

"And your paw FROZE while you were holding his?"

Latis sheepishly laughed. "It kind of did. When I let go, there was even the sound of cracking because the ice shattered."

Bingo. Alyssa sighed and shook her head, a knowing smile on her face.

"What is it? Is it serious?"

"No it's not serious. In fact it's fine actually. It should be gone in a few days." Alyssa smiled, waving a paw at her.

Latis sighed. "That's a relief. Thanks Alyssa."

"Anytime."

"I probably should get back to him, see you later."

"Take care now."

Alyssa then watched as Latis turn around the corner, and hear the sound of the door closing a few moments later.

"Your paw freezing involuntarily isn't something you get from being frozen in ice."

Alyssa turned around and saw Volteer with a smirk on his face.

"And how do you know that?"

Volteer chuckled. "I am the one mostly in the library. I read a book or two every now and then."

It was now Alyssa's turn to smirk. "So I am guessing you probably know what's going on then, do you?"

"I think I do. For fire dragons, it's when you burn their paws; for electric, you shock them; for earth, you poke them by accident since the dirt in their paws hardens. And for ice, you freeze your paw with them."

"Yes, that is correct, Volteer. It is a phenomenon completely involuntary and common among young dragons since there powers are still being mastered."

"And isn't it also a sure fire way to tell?"

"Yes. It is."

Volteer chuckled. "This should be interesting.

0

Latis walked down the halls of the Temple, her mind finally relieved that her paw freezing wasn't a bad thing.

"At least it wasn't serious," she said to herself.

She looked up and saw Cynder and Sparx walking down the hall, the two chatting rather animatedly about something.

"Hey guys," she called out.

"Hey Latis, did you happen to see Zaze by any chance?" asked Cynder.

"I have actually, why do you ask?"

"Where is he? We haven't seen him this morning," Sparx said.

"He's at the infirmary. I was just about to go there myself."

Cynder was caught off guard. "Why is he at the infirmary!? Was he attacked too!?"

"Attacked? What do you mean attacked?" It was now Latis' turn to be confused.

"I guess the news hasn't spread yet to you. You know that dark dragon that attacked you?" Sparx asked her.

"What about it?" Latis asked, feeling a slight shiver go down her spine.

"He attacked again. Only this time, no one was there to save the poor guy," said Sparx grimly.

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for typing a portion of this chapter.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	35. Chapter 35 Suspicion

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 35

Suspicion

"Zaze…"

Zaze rolled to his side as he slept, trying to ignore whoever was trying to interrupt his peace.

"Zaze, wake up…"

The voice seemed distant to Zaze, but sounded worried about something.

"ZAZE!"

Zaze suddenly jumped up off the infirmary bed and fell to the floor.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Zaze said in shock.

"It looks more like you're down," Sparx said as he looked at Zaze lying on the floor.

"This isn't the time for jokes!" Latis exclaimed to Sparx with similar ferocity as her shout that woke Zaze up.

"Wow! You sure have some power in your voice," Cynder said amazed by Latis' voice.

"Yeah, well…Zaze wasn't waking up," Latis said sheepishly before turning serious, "And this is a serious issue."

"A serious issue?" Zaze inquired, "What's wrong?"

"Well…I think this is something you should see for yourself," Cynder said hesitantly, "What took you so long to wake up? You never sleep this late."

Zaze scratched his chin as he thought for a moment. Then he noticed that his cold was gone, "Maybe it was that medicine that Latis gave me for my cold."

"Unlikely. In fact, some of the ingredients used in that medicine are often used in energy drinks," Latis said, "But this is important."

"Flare sent me and Sparx to get you," Cynder said, "I already told Latis what happened. But you and her have to see it for yourselves."

"The dark dragon attacked again. And this time…" Latis couldn't finish it as she started trembling in fear.

"Come on. Like I said, you have to see it for yourselves," Cynder said.

The four of them headed toward the temple grounds. Along the way, they met up with Flame and Ember, who seem to be also headed there.

"So, have you heard?" Flame asked.

"About the attack? Yeah," Cynder said.

"So what happened?" Ember asked. Flame had woken her up when he heard about the attack.

"I haven't seen it yet," Flame said, "Flare told me what happened. I haven't seen it yet. But it sounds bad."

"It is," Cynder said simply.

The group of dragons then headed toward the temple grounds together.

0

"I can't believe any dragon would do something like this," Spyro said in disgust.

"Well, it happened. And I would like it if you would go into Warfang and help the moles search for the dark dragon," Flare said.

"Okay. I'd like to personally teach that dragon a lesson myself for what he's done," Spyro said.

Spyro then took off and left the temple, headed toward the city below in search for the dark dragon. After he left, Flare was about to put a sheet over the body. But she was interrupted when Cynder, Sparx, Flame, Ember, Latis, and Zaze arrived.

"Oh, you're here," Flare said as she noticed the group.

"Cynder said that the dark dragon attacked again," Zaze said.

"That's right," Manuel said.

Flare then took the sheet back off to reveal the body of a dragon whose been murdered. Gasps came out from their maws. Saying it was gratuitous was an understatement. Everyone was visibly shocked to see a dead body, covered in blood lying before them. But Zaze controlled himself and scrutinized the body. A few things stood out to him. On the dragon's chest was a gaping hole, about the size of an apple in diameter. Though what caught his attention was the fact that the wound's edges were burnt and going outwards from it was spider web like patterns. Lying beside the body was metal spike whose pointed tip was colored crimson red.

Flare then held up the small metal spike carefully in her paws.

"We found this stabbed in his chest," Flare said as she showed the dragons the spike.

"So he was stabbed in the heart?" Ember asked as she held back a gag reflex.

"No. The spike isn't long enough to reach the heart," Flame said as he observed the spike.

"So how was he killed if it wasn't from the spike?" Sparx asked.

"It looks like he was burned. Was the spike heated up enough to burn him?" Cynder asked.

"That's what we thought at first. But if it were heated to that level, not even a fire dragon would be able to handle it, let alone stab someone with it," Flare pointed out.

"And besides, the burn marks spread too far from the wound and they're too random," Manuel added.

Latis shook her head. "The burns couldn't have been what killed him. He'd definitely need medical attention. But the burns aren't fatal, I know that for a fact."

"But then what could've caused a burn like that?" Sparx asked.

Everyone was rather quiet as they carefully thought of a solution to their problem. Meanwhile Alyssa motioned for the moles, and a few moments later, the body was covered with the tarp again. Ember released a sigh of relief, finally able to get control over her stomach. Things like this made her queasy. Zaze hummed to himself, closing his eyes and thinking thoroughly. As he thought of what could have possibly killed the poor dragon, he decided to take everyone's mind off the cause of death for a while.

"Flare, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Did you guys happen to know who this dragon is?" he asked.

Flare shook her head. "No. I don't know who this dragon is; I have seen him yes, but his name escapes me."

"I know who he is," said Latis. Everyone's attention turned to her.

"He was with us, when we came here. His name is Kastel. He was actually planning on staying here at the Temple, but had some things to deal with at the city."

"I guess that makes us eighteen left living here at the Temple…" said Zaze.

"Well that's good to know. We have at least a name to put now on his grave. In any case, we'll have to send the body to Alyssa for a proper autopsy. She'll be able to surely tell us what the cause of death is."

And with that, the body was carefully carried off by a group of moles. Flare then turned around and faced the seven of them.

"I guess it's quite obvious for me to say that you guys have to be careful. We have a dark dragon on the loose and we can definitely be sure that he is dangerous and will kill. Try to stay together as much as possible, even in broad daylight. And, I can't stress this enough, do not wander the halls of the Temple at night. Okay?"

The group responded with their own affirmations.

"Good. Now, I hate to do this, but I have to. I have to ask each one of you later to come with me and answer a few questions."

"You're interrogating us!?" Manuel asked apprehensively.

"You think it's one of us?" Zaze asked.

Flare bit her lip. "…I can't say for sure."

"Well, that's just great…" said Cynder.

"Good thing I am not a dragon," said Sparx.

"I'll see you all later, okay?"

And with that Flare headed back inside the Temple.

"What are we going to do?" asked Manuel.

"Calm down everyone, that's always a good start," said Latis.

"I don't know," said Ember scratching her head. "Flame, you didn't do it, right?"

"OF COURSE I DIDN'T!" said Flame defensively. "You were with me last night."

"How about you Cynder, where were you?" Manuel asked.

"I was with Spyro and Sparx. We were sleeping together," she said flatly.

"I was by myself at my room," Manuel said. "How about you Zaze?"

Zaze scratched his chin. "Same for you, but before I was there I talked to Alyssa last night…"

"And I myself was studying, and was put to sleep by Alyssa. She came by my room when she saw the lights were on. Didn't leave till I was in bed."

"It seems everyone except for you two don't have a solid alibi…" said Cynder, looking at the Manuel and Zaze.

"But it can't be!" said Manuel.

"Why?" Sparx asked.

"Because the dark dragon did this right?" Everyone nodded.

"Your point being?" Cynder asked

"Well, remember what happened to Latis? The dark dragon did that too right?"

Latis cringed remembering that, and discreetly stood close to Zaze.

"Yeah…?" Cynder asked.

"Well, that's enough of a proof. I was with you," Manuel pointed at Cynder. "At the time, we were talking to each other when it happened."

0 = 0 = 0

"What do you think of Zaze?"

"Uh…I don't think I can answer that yet."

"I mean first impression."

"Oh, in that case, well…" Manuel scratched his chin. "He seems nice; friendly. He appears to me as a dragon who takes others' feelings into consideration before his own."

"Why would you think that?" Cynder asked.

"It's just how he words everything. It's like he carefully picks his words so that he won't offend anybody."

"Wow, that's your first impression of him? And you only just got introduced!"

"That's what I think anyway. He just seemed careful about what he said. Why do you ask?" Manuel then grinned mischievously, "Do you have your eyes on him?"

Cynder was caught off guard by the question. "Uh, no actually."

"Is it because he's gay?"

That seriously caught her off guard.

"What makes you think Zaze is—"

Cynder was cut off as a scream suddenly interrupted her sentence.

0 = 0 = 0

"What kind of reasoning is that!?" Flame said, looking at him incredulously.

Cynder shook her head. "Flimsy reasoning, yes, but he has a point."

Zaze sighed. "So the only one that doesn't have a good alibi, for BOTH incidents…is me?"

"Don't feel bad, Zaze. I trust you. You're too much a nice guy to be that…dangerous," said Ember.

"I agree with Ember. You saved my life. If you were the one that did it, why bother in the first place? Right?"

"Thanks for the words of comfort. But still, I am the main suspect."

Somewhere at the back of Zaze's mind, something was nagging at him. Like he was forgetting something very crucial that could break this case wide open. For now though, the answer escaped him.

"Come on guys, let's go. The smell of blood is getting to me," said Cynder.

"Agree with that," said Manuel.

The seven of them began walking back, and soon after, was in the halls of the Temple again. As they walked, Zaze just remember something. A question he had been meaning to ask.

"Cynder, how does one become a dark dragon anyway?" Zaze asked.

Cynder then stopped where she was, "Why…why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious," Zaze said, "Terrador said that only a purple dragon can turn a dragon into a dark dragon. Is it true that a purple dragon uses the darkness in one's heart to turn them into a dark dragon?"

"I'm not sure. But I do remember…" Cynder said, pausing for a moment, "I remember growing up…just being raised how Malefor wanted. I thought evil was good. So that made it easy for him to corrupt me. So…that does sound like it could be legitimate."

"Are you not sure?"

"Sorry, no."

"Well, like you said, it does sound legitimate. And since normal dragons can't turn dragons into dark dragons, then it sounds right that only special dragons…like purple dragons, to have that kind of power."

"Are you accusing Spyro of making this dark dragon?!" Cynder exclaimed in shock.

"Why would you think I'd accuse him?" Zaze asked before he started to think, "Well…there are only two purple dragons that could do this."

"You mean one purple dragon," Sparx said.

"That's what I said. One purple dragon," Zaze said.

"No…you said two," Latis said.

"No, I only said one…didn't I?" Zaze asked, "Why would I say two?"

"Well there was Malefor," Sparx said.

"No, Malefor is gone!" Zaze insisted.

"Okay, you don't have to shout," said Manuel.

"Speaking of purple dragons, where's Spyro?"

"I think he left. Flare had him help the moles scour the city," Manuel answered.

"I think I'll do that too. All this sitting around is making me feel useless," said Cynder.

"I'll come with you. Flare did say that we should stick together." And with that, the ice and the black dragoness jumped off the window, and took flight.

"Well, there they go…" said Ember.

"What are we going to do now?" asked Flame. "Zaze?"

Zaze hummed to himself. He knew what he was going to do.

"I need to think."

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for typing a portion of this chapter.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	36. Chapter 36 Clue

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 36

Clue

Zaze hummed to himself quietly, slowly drowning everything out around him as he tried to think and gather his thoughts. He walked over to the side and looked out the window, as he tried to free his mind and think critically. A lot has happened over the course of time, and it seemed it has reached a deadly point. First there was the case with his room. At the start, it seemed like an innocent prank played on him. But the second time it happened, the possibility was blown out of the water. Zaze couldn't help but think that his room being messed up was somehow, even if indirectly, connected to the murder that had happened. It was a feeling that was gnawing at the back of his mind.

However, an equal voice in his head was telling him that it wasn't.

The trail leading to the suspect that was messing up his room had clearly gone cold. All the evidence that was left all seemed to point to one dragon. And that dragon clearly could not be the one who did it, because the mere thought of it was just downright preposterous. Spyro wasn't the prankster type. Putting that aside, Zaze also had other mysteries that were bugging his mind. Aside from the mystery of who was the murderer of Kastel, there was also of how he was killed. They didn't have a single clue of who killed him, so probably solving how he was killed could lead to who possibly did. However, it's quite rare for dragons to ever use weapons, since they themselves are already deadly in their own right.

"Zaze!"

Zaze's train of thought derailed, and crashed headlong.

"What!?" he spat out of annoyance. It was Sparx that had called him.

"Flare's calling us. I think it's time for the four of you to get interrogated. Flame, Latis and Ember already went ahead."

Zaze scratched his chin. "I guess thinking will just have to wait."

And with that, Zaze followed behind Flame and Ember.

0

"Okay, Flame and Ember just finished, so I think it's time we call in the two of them," said Flare.

"We're getting nothing out of this, Flare," said Terrador. "Are you sure this is really worth our time?"

"Yes Terrador. Even if they are who they are, it's still important for us to take note of where was who today, so that at least we can map out where everyone was during the supposed time of the murder."

Terrador looked at her. "I still say that we go out there and help scour the city for that scum. He shall pay for what he has done."

"And here I thought you were the strategic type," said Flare.

"I don't know…something about this just irks me. The mere thought of a dangerous dragon running around, killing whenever he prefers makes my blood boil. I will personally see to his punishment. Death seems to be the better choice."  
"Death? No mercy?"

"Has he shown mercy? He already has two victims, one of which he successfully claimed."

"Good point."

And with that, the two Guardians sat back down as the door opened and two dragons stepped in, followed by a dragonfly. Flame and Ember had just finished giving their alibis as to where they were that morning. As they had said earlier, the two of them were sleeping in their rooms. Now, it was Zaze and Latis' turn to give their alibis as to where they were that morning.

"I woke up that morning to talk to Cyril."

"You talked?" asked Flare.

"Didn't you two argued more likely?" asked Latis.

Now this caught the attention of the two Guardians.

"What is this argument you speak of?" Terrador asked.

"We didn't argue. I don't know what you're talking about," said Zaze to Latis. "All I know is, after I talked with him, you were there for some reason. The details are actually a bit sketchy to me. I had a headache at that time because I had a cold."

"Well that surely places you on thin ice now does it," said Flare.

"Must be a side effect I was unaware off," said Latis. "Regardless, I'll fill you in since you seemingly don't remember."

Terrador sat up. "Please do so, I am puzzled."

"Well, as Zaze said it, he and Cyril did talk that morning. I was there. Well, I got there a little later on. I found them at the Dining Hall, arguing about something irrelevant. I managed to stop the argument and I brought Zaze to the infirmary because I wanted to give him some medicine."

"So that's what you were doing this morning? Taking care of Zaze?" Flare asked.

"Yes. The medicine I gave him must have a side effect I was unaware off," said Latis.

Terrador sighed. "I guess that puts you two on the clear for now However, were back to square one. We still have no leads whatsoever."

"Have you two interrogated Spyro, Cynder and Manuel already?" Zaze asked.

"No, we haven't. Though I can vouch for Manuel; the two of us found the body."

"Well I can vouch for Spyro and Cynder," said Sparx, who was listening intently till now.

"Okay, where were Spyro and Cynder this morning?" asked Terrador.

"Same with Flame and Ember," replied Sparx flatly.

"They were sleeping. I and Cynder woke up early today and left Spyro to get some breakfast. We noticed that Zaze here was missing, so we decided to look for him. Later we found out he got sick by Latis telling us so we all went to the infirmary."

Flare sighed rather dejectedly. "This isn't getting us anywhere."

"I concur," said Terrador.

Zaze scratched his chin. They still had no leads. This was getting nowhere real fast. Trying to find something, Zaze decided that maybe they were looking at this at the wrong angle. What if the murder took place during the night? Are all the alibis still intact?

"How about last night then?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Flare looked at him. "What about it?"

"Did you check the alibis for last night?"

"We did. Well, Flame and Ember's to be precise; same as before. You two though, where were you?" asked Terrador, looking at them curiously.

"I was talking to Alyssa last night," Zaze answered.

"And I for one was studying at my room. Alyssa actually sent me to bed," Latis answered.

"How about you Sparx? Were you with Spyro and Cynder?" Flare asked.

The dragonfly nodded. "I was. Still the same case though, sleeping."

"Okay…aside from sleeping? Did anything else of interest happen?" Zaze asked, getting rather annoyed by the fact that everyone seemed to have been sleeping.

Sparx thought for a moment. "Well…there is something," he replied. The memory was coming back to him. Everyone's attentions were all on him.

"What is it then?"

"I don't know how important this may be but well, I was woken up late last night when Spyro left. I think he went to the bathroom; his head was aching, badly, and he wanted a drink of water to maybe ease the pain. I don't remember him going back though. I fell asleep as soon as the door closed."

Zaze hummed to himself. It seems he wasn't the only one who had a headache. Out of curiosity, he decided to ask a question that irked him.

"When did his headache start? A headache couldn't start that badly immediately."

Sparx thought for a moment. "I think he started complaining of having a headache, way back during the party."

That was a surprise. "That far?" Zaze made a mental note to himself. Spyro needed to get his head checked.

"That's not normal. Maybe I should check on Spyro," said Latis.

"I think you should," said Sparx, resting on Zaze's shoulders.

Terrador shook his head. "This is pointless. I guess we move to the next plan."

"I understand," said Flare. "Okay, all of you are to head to the library."

"Why?" asked Sparx.

"I and Terrador will scour the Temple Grounds in the hopes of finding this rogue Dark Dragon. In case we do find him, a fight will break out and who knows what will happen. That's why Volteer will be keeping all of you safe. Is that clear?"

Zaze nodded. There wasn't much of a choice. The tone of the two Guardians before him got a whole lot more serious.

"Okay. Go then," said Flare.

And with that Zaze, Sparx and Latis left the room.

0

"Well I guess things aren't that bad," said Flame.

"Were here, were safe, what more can we ask for?" added Ember.

"Yeah, and the fact that were going to get bored to death is a good thing too, I presume?" asked Sparx.

"Come on you guys, cheer up. You've got books," said Volteer.

Latis sighed. "Sorry Volteer, but I'm not one for reading."

The Electric Guardian smiled wryly. He glanced to his side and looked at Zaze. "At least Zaze is taking well, aside from you four. Look at him, just silent."

Everyone turned to glance at Zaze. Volteer was right. The usual sprightly dragon was silent ever since they got here. It was obvious one thing was on his mind. And that was the murder and everything else that's been going on. Ever since they got inside the library, which was around a hour ago, Zaze was using all his brain power to try and figure out something; anything that could help solve this case. He tried every possible angle, every possible solution that he could logically use, and nothing was seemingly working. There was just no possible suspect. And even if there was, he couldn't even think of a clear motive. The evidence didn't help either. He found himself staring at a brick wall. He scowled, scratching his head.

This was clearly driving him up the wall.

"AHHH!"

Everyone jumped in surprise as Zaze suddenly lashed out, slamming his paw strong and hard on the wooden table. Bolts of electricity zapped out of his paws powered by the anger inside him. The table got scorched completely, leaving patterns on it.

"Dude, calm down," said Sparx. "What's eating you?"

Zaze placed a paw on his forehead and stared at the table. "It's just…I'm having a hard time trying to figure this out."

"Figure what out?"

"The murder; who did it, why and how."

"You're trying way too hard Zaze," said Latis, walking over to him. She gave a comforting paw on his shoulder. "No one asked you to play detective."

"Yeah, she has a point. Why don't you just let the Guardians sort it out?" Flame said.

"We are trying to the best of our abilities to get to the bottom of things," added Volteer.

"I know. It's just…I can't sit around doing nothing, while some dragon runs around doing whatever he wants and getting away with it."

"You remind me of Spyro, Zaze, you know that?" asked Volteer.

"I do?"

"You sound just like him; always wanting to go out of his way to help dragons."

"I guess I do," said Zaze, admiring the pattern he made on the table. "Sorry about the table."

"It's okay, at least it wasn't destroyed."

Zaze stared and traced the pattern he had made on the table. Apparently, it was his sudden lashing out that caused electricity to burst from his paws and travel through the table. From where his paw landed, was a noticeable burn forming a circle in the shape of his paw. Going outwards from the circle were burn marks.

Since the table wasn't exactly a good conductor, being wooden and all, it instead got burnt, leaving a unique pattern. It was destructive, yet it brought about a rather creative looking piece of work. Zaze smiled. It looked cool.

Then, that smile slowly turned to something else.

The pattern; it felt…familiar to him. It was like he had seen it before; not an exact copy, but something like it. Then, it came to him.

He smirked. He mentally smacked himself for his own stupidity. How could he have not figured it out sooner! It was so simple! The trick as to how Kastel was murdered was downright elementary. With one mystery down, he felt he could breathe a little. At least he only needed to figure out who killed him.

"Zaze, you're scaring me."

Zaze looked up and saw Latis looking at him. "What?"

"The way you're smiling is giving me the creeps. You've been grinning ever since you burnt the table."

"Sorry," he smiled sheepishly.

"What are you thinking about anyway?" she said, sitting next to him.

Zaze scratched his chin. "Oh nothing; I'm just trying to solve the murder case, that's all."

"How it's going so far?"

"Well, I've got an idea of how he died. Now I just need to figure out who killed him."

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	37. Chapter 37 Theory

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 37

Theory

Flame glanced at Zaze. "You seem to like playing detective, any reason behind that?"

Zaze shrugged. "I just find myself intrigued by mysteries, you know. Like, I can't leave any stone unturned."

"I see…" Flame replied.

"You mentioned that you have an idea, what is it?" Ember asked.

Zaze contemplated on sharing it. On one point, he wanted to share it to see what the others think about his idea. But on the other, he was reluctant seeing as how odd it was overall.

"Nah," he said. "I think I'll keep it to myself for now. I'm still trying to make sure if I am right."

"It's odd though huh?" Sparx said, sitting down at the table.

"What is?" Zaze replied.

"That Kastel died because of that metal spike. I mean, do dragons even use weapons?"

"We do actually," Volteer replied. Everyone turned their attentions to him. "Well, 'did' to be precise. However, to use a weapon in combat requires more training; a lot of training."

"Why? I mean, it's just an extension of yourself right? How hard can it be?" Flame asked.

"That's easy for you to say Flame, but it's quite hard, trust me. Dragons back then, before the war with the Dark Master, we're required to know how to wield weapons. However, due to the sheer difficulty of mastery, it was changed to be only given to Guardian Candidates."

"So what weapon were you a master of Volteer?" Latis asked.

The Electric Guardian sighed, and looked down the ground. "None…actually."

Sparx stared at him "What?"

"How did you become a Guardian then, if you don't mind me asking," Ember asked curiously.

"I was the only…let's say, better choice. Yes, you are required to be a master of a weapon, if you want to become a Guardian. However, that isn't the only requirement."

"What do you mean?" asked Zaze.

"You have to be smart too you know. And have a good track record." Volteer then smirked. "Also, being handsome and charming has its advantages."

Sparx chuckled. "I think I disagree with the latter one," he teased.

"HEY!" replied Volteer, feeling a bit hurt.

"Don't worry Volteer, for me, you're still handsome as can be," said Ember. Volteer smiled at her.

"What about me then?" Flame asked. Ember giggled.

"I love you just the way you are Flame," she said, giving him a short nuzzle. Latis just sighed, smiling at the scene before her. She turned around and saw Zaze thinking again. He then looked back up to Volteer.

"So Volteer, seriously though, what got you the position then?" he asked.

"Well, it was because I managed to invent a technique that was unique."

"What was it?"

The Electric Guardian scratched his chin. "It's hard to explain, but in a nutshell, I basically supercharge my body with electricity. And since it's supercharged, it allows me to move in lightning speeds, so to speak."

"Hey! Isn't what what you do Zaze?" said Latis, looking at Zaze.

"What Zaze does?" Volteer repeated curiously.

"Yeah, kind of," Zaze said, "I basically supercharged myself so that I could move quickly enough to save Flame. I also used the supercharge technique to increase my strength to break the ice that Latis was frozen in."

Volteer cocked his head to the side. "Who taught you that?"

"Hmmm, I don't know," Zaze said as he put is paw to his chin in thought, "I figure I either just came up with it myself, or I was taught how to do it before I lost my memories, and I just managed to keep that information in mind."

"Hmm…that's odd. The only dragon that knows this technique is me...and…well…that's just not right." Volteer looked at the ground. "He's not around anymore."

"Who else knows that technique?" Ember asked Volteer curiously.

Volteer sighed and sat on the floor. It was quite clear he was contemplating on whether or not of telling them. But in the end, he chose the former.

"Well...the other dragon was a good friend of mine. He's not around anymore though...his name's Maffrin."

Zaze suddenly felt...strange when he heard the name Maffrin. He didn't know what he was feeling, or why he felt that way. But the name Maffrin struck a cord with him. Then a thought came to mind, "Did Maffrin by any chance have a...a son?" Zaze asked awkwardly. Zaze wasn't even sure if he wanted to know the answer, "Also, what happened to him?"

"He died?" asked Flame.

"...yes," said Volteer.

"Oh...Maffrin's dead?" Zaze said almost dejectedly. He didn't understand why, but he was feeling rather sad. He felt like the name Maffrin was familiar. Then again it could've been just something else.

"How did he die?" Zaze asked.

"Maffrin was a special dragon," Volteer said, "Like a purple dragon; he could use more than one element...although not that well. He attempted to fight Malefor...and lost. Malefor killed Maffrin."

"Did Maffrin have any family?" Zaze asked.

"No, he didn't have any family, sadly," said Volteer.

"Zaze, are you okay?" Latis asked, noticing that Zaze seemed upset.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Zaze sighed, "It's just that something about the name Maffrin felt familiar to me."

"You think he was related to you?"

Zaze shook his head. "I can't say. But what I do know is that this technique I could do is natural to me."

"Now's not the right time to be feeling sentimental," said Volteer, relishing in his memories. "Especially with that dark dragon running around."

"Good point, Volteer," said Flame.

"Were you two close?" asked Ember.

"We were," he replied. "The best of friends actually."

"Wait a minute, then how come he's dead and you're not? He fought Malefor right? Surely you were fighting right alongside him." Sparx added.

Volteer sighed. "It's…complicated, let's just leave it at that."

No one asked anymore questions, seeing as it was something personal. That was when an idea crossed Zaze's mind. Emotions; emotions usually played a big role in one's motive. It normally was the driving force, and sometimes was the cause for spontaneous activities, even crime. He looked at everyone in the room. Unless somebody had a bi-polar disorder, it's quite clear that none of them here were possibly the murderer. And that could even apply to everyone else. No, he had to narrow things down. And also, if motive was the case, what was the motive for messing up his room then, if the three cases were connected? Clearly the cases were connected. How though, he still didn't know. Zaze tapped his claw at the table, and decided to look at the case overall. It was quite clear that he had run into a brick wall in terms of determining who the murderer was. How he had killed him, he had already figured out though.

So maybe a fresh perspective could shed some light in the situation. Seeing as he had nothing to lose, he decided to shift his attention back to the first case. The clues that were left to him on that case were fire, earth, and ice. Seeing as three dragons couldn't have possibly done this, only one dragon was in the hot seat.

That dragon was Spyro.

"Are you still thinking about who is the murderer?" Latis asked.

"I am. I'm currently trying to sum everyone's alibis. Starting from the second case," he answered.

"Hey Sparx, where was Spyro during the time when Latis was attacked?"

"I think he was sleeping." He nodded.

Zaze turned to Latis. "You're sure that a dark dragon attacked you?"

"Positive," replied Latis.

"Hey Flame."

"Yeah?"

"Where were you two when Latis was attacked?"

"We were talking with my dad, right Ember?"

"We were," she replied.

Zaze hummed to himself. He was running out of leads. And he only had one left. And that was the only one that seemed unlikely the most. After some quiet thinking, he shrugged, giving up. He had nothing to lose. So Zaze decided to bite the bullet and see where the line of thinking would take him.

So what IF and that was a big if, that he did it? Why would he do it? Zaze asked himself. He had nothing to lose, so what was the point of thinking sensibly? He needed to think radically, outside the box. Why would a dragon such as he would do it? He had to be crazy to do it. And he wasn't. If he was, he'd at least be showing signs that he had a mental disorder…

0 = 0 = 0

"And we're doing it as fast as possible because I think he's been having headaches because of it," said Sparx.

"Headaches? You mentioned that earlier, but I didn't know it was this serious." Zaze said.

Cynder asked. "Since when?"

"I think his headaches started about the time of that party when the first group of dragons arrived," Sparx said as he scratched his chin.

0 = 0 = 0

The memory popped into Zaze's head as soon as he mentioned it. Maybe it was just a coincidence. But…

0 = 0 = 0

"When did his headache start? A headache couldn't start that badly immediately."

Sparx thought for a moment. "I think he started complaining of having a headache, way back during the party."

0 = 0 = 0

Zaze shook his head. It couldn't have been a coincidence; a headache that started way back during the party? That wasn't normal anymore. That was something serious. If anything, it was something seriously bad. So okay, what if he had a headache that seemed out of the ordinary, what did that tell him? Zaze asked himself, long and hard. Well, the only answer he got was that it told him that something was wrong with his head. Maybe his mind was unstable? Unstable? Why would it be unstable? Zaze asked himself. Maybe his powers were going haywire? No; he rephrased the question: maybe he was loosing CONTROL of his powers? What power would it be?

0 = 0 = 0

"I'm not sure. But I do remember…" Cynder said, pausing for a moment, "I remember growing up…just being raised how Malefor wanted. I thought evil was good. So that made it easy for him to corrupt me. So…that does sound like it could be legitimate."

0 = 0 = 0

The random thought crossed Zaze's mind. At first he dismissed it, seeing as his brain was desperately grasping at straws, trying to form a connection out of anything. But then…

0 = 0 = 0

"Not much is known about how a Dark Dragon comes to be. But the lack of information is because Dark Dragons are linked to Purple Dragons in some way. At least that's the theory. If I go by how Cynder became a Dark Dragon, I would have to assume the Purple Dragon in question, Malefor in this case, used his power to amplify the darkness that already existed in her heart. We have reason to believe that she was raised so that she had a great amount of darkness in her heart. But with Spyro's power, combined with his kindness, helped to rid her heart of that darkness; or at least lowered it to a point where she has a reason to fight the darkness. However, she still has her memories; therefore she will always have a level of darkness in her heart. But many dragons do have a certain amount of darkness in their hearts." Terrador explained.

0 = 0 = 0

A certain amount of darkness in their hearts…a headache that wouldn't seemingly go away…messing up his room…an attack on a dragon…and then a murdered dragon…

The cases all seemed to have something in common. It was a pattern that he didn't see before; a pattern that was staring him right at the face.

Zaze felt like he was onto something. A theory slowly formed in his head. It was a very far fetched theory; one might say was downright crazy. It went against everything that he thought. But hey, it was just a theory. And a theory could be easily disproven. As Zaze thought his theory through, more and more it was becoming ridiculous. One question could easily destroy his oddball defense. Where was the proof? Zaze thought critically. This was where it matter the most. If he didn't have anything to base his theory on, it would only remain a theory, nothing more.

"Well I'm getting hungry," said Flame, looking at Volteer. "Can we go outside and eat?"

Volteer scratched his chin. "I'm not sure…"

"Come on, Volteer, aren't you hungry too?" Ember asked.

Volteer was about to answer, when there was a loud growl.

"I think your body answered for you," said Sparx with a smirk. Volteer just smiled sheepishly.

He glanced to his side, when Latis sat next to him, looking rather bored. He found himself staring at her. Something caught his eye. Latis…

0 = 0 = 0

"It's just ice. I can take care of this," Manuel said as he moved toward the ice.

Cynder glanced at Manuel as he was about to use his own ice powers to break the ice. But as Cynder looked at the ice crystal, something didn't feel right. She didn't know what the feeling was, but there was something familiar about the feeling. And Cynder didn't like it. Having a bad feeling about the ice crystal, she called out to Manuel.

"No, wait, DON'T!" But Cynder was too late. Manuel screamed in pain when he touched the ice.

"Are you okay?" Zaze asked as he and Cynder ran over to Manuel.

"I don't know who did this. But it must've been a very powerful ice dragon," Manuel said, "The ice is too cold to touch. My paw is already numb from the cold. It's a good thing I'm an ice dragon, or else that might've been more damaging.

"Something about that ice doesn't feel right," Cynder said.

0 = 0 = 0

"Uh…Zaze…? Are you okay?" Latis shuffled nervously, feeling a little self conscious. Zaze was staring at her as if seeing light for the first time. Her cheeks began to glow red, under his gaze. "W-what is it?"

"I got it…"

"Huh? Got what?"

"If I am right…then the place where I should look is…"

"Zaze? What's going on?"

Zaze paid no attention to her as he stood up and walked towards Volteer. "Volteer, can I ask a favor from you?"

"Uh sure, what is it?"

"I need to go to the Training Dojo."

Volteer raised a brow. "Why?"

"There's something I have to check."

Volteer bit his lip. It was hard to make a decision under an empty stomach. But this seemed important.

"All right, here's the deal. All of us will go to the Dining Hall and hold out there. Zaze, you come back as soon as possible, got it?"

"I understand, I'll run as fast as I can as soon as I find what I am looking for."

"Don't take too long. We can't be too safe with that dark dragon around," warned Volteer.

A few minutes later the library door opened and the five dragons stepped out. Volteer, Flame, Ember and Sparx all headed to the library, wanting to fill their stomachs. Zaze on the other hand ran the other way, heading to the Training Dojo. Latis was confused. On one hand, there was safety in numbers, but if she followed Volteer and the others, Zaze will be all by himself, and that'd be dangerous. As she watched Zaze slowly reach the end of the hall, she bit her lip.

"I'm going to regret this," she said to herself. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving her friend alone to fend for himself.

"ZAZE! Wait up!"

0

The doors to the Training Dojo opened and Zaze stepped in. But before he could fully enter, a voice caught his attention.

"Wait for me!"

He raised his brow as the dragoness came into view. It was Latis.

"What are you doing here? I thought Volteer told you guys to stick with him."

She panted for a brief moment, catching her breath. "He did. But I couldn't leave you."

Zaze stared at her, not knowing how to react.

"I mean, you know, its dangerous being alone." Zaze just continued to stare at her. "Oh you get my point, come on. Let's find this thing you're looking for and get this over with."

"…Okay," Zaze said, shrugging.

"Wow, this place needs to be fixed," said Latis as she examined the walls and floor of the Training Dojo. Sure enough, the Training Dojo was still the same as before. The flooring in the middle still had the same cracks in it. The boulders in the wall and the burnt ceiling; everything from before was still there. It would seem that the moles hadn't started renovating yet.

"So what are we looking for anyway?" Latis asked.

Zaze scratched his head. "Um…I don't know."

Latis gave him a flat look. "You don't know? What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't know what I'm looking for. All I know is, is that it's in this room, okay?"

Zaze sighed and walked to the center of the dojo. He knew for sure he'd find it here. As he stepped into the ring, a training dummy magically emerged. That was when he felt something.

"Wait a minute…I know this feeling…"

Zaze slowly approached the dummy and examined it. Sure enough, this too bore the same treatment that the room had been having. As Zaze traced his paws on the dummy, he felt it again; that familiar twinge. He felt this feeling before.

That was when it all clicked.

"What is it?" Latis asked, walking over to him.

"I know who the murderer is," Zaze answered.

His theory just got proven true.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Final chance to guess who the murderer is! Who do you guys think is it?**

* * *

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	38. Chapter 38 Revelations

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Author's Notes:**

**First and foremost, I have to get this out of the way now. I know that this chapter is delayed. Why? Because I've been busy with college, loaded with tests since prelims start next week, and the fact that this chapter is basically riddled with heavy plot importance stuff. I couldn't sacrifice the quality of the chapter just so I could post and meet my deadline.**

**So yeah.**

**Anyways, on with the story.**

* * *

Chapter 38

Revelations

"Spyro, are you okay?" Cynder asked.

The three dragons, Spyro, Cynder and Manuel, landed upon the rooftop of the Temple. Spyro was shaking his head left and right, as it painfully ached. Clearly his headache was still there. Cynder approached him, feeling worried for her mate.

"Manuel, I think you should go on ahead, we'll catch up."

"Okay then," replied Manuel, and soon left the area.

Cynder seated Spyro at the corner, and looked at him. The purple dragon looked worse for wear. One moment ago he was feeling fine and dandy, and now he was down for the count. Spyro groaned and rested his head on the wall. It felt like his head was about to burst apart. As if in tune with his physical condition, the weather was also looking rather bleak. The once sunny atmosphere they were flying in earlier was now slowly turning into something sinister. Dark clouds loomed ahead, effectively blocking out the sun. A few moments later, she could hear thunder booming from the distance. It all seemed too ominous.

"I think it's going to rain, we should head in," said Cynder.

Spyro sighed. "Okay…"

"I should really have Alyssa check on you Spyro. I'm really getting worried now," said Cynder.

"No it's okay. It's just a headache. It's not like it'll kill me or anything," he replied.

"Just a headache? Spyro, are you even listening to yourself? Earlier you weren't acting like yourself."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, for starters you set fire to a tree since you thought there was something there."

"But there was! I swear!"

"Then there was also the thing where you crashed a boulder to a stall of a poor mole for no clear reason."

"Well it overshot. I meant to aim it somewhere else."

"And hurt someone? You're lucky no one got hurt."

Spyro glared at her. "Would you stop nagging me, you're acting like Cyril."

"I would if you'd only listen to me," said Cynder. "I know everything's been rough lately and how everyone's on edge because of the Dark Dragon running around. But that doesn't mean you could use that as an excuse."

"I know, okay, you don't have to remind me, you make it sound like it's my fault."

Cynder shook her head. "No I don't."

"Let's just go inside. You're making my headache worse," said Spyro, walking past her.

Cynder was about to say something, when someone came out of the entrance.

It was Zaze, quickly followed behind by Latis.

"Cynder! Whatever you do, don't go near Spyro!"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Cynder said.

"I'm serious," said Zaze, with a sense of urgency.

"What's going on?" Spyro asked, clearly confused.

"You tell me, Spyro, you're the one who clearly knows what's been going on," replied Zaze, walking up to them.

Spyro shook his head. "What are you blabbering about?"

"We know who the killer is now. Who killed Kastel; who basically is the Dark Dragon that has been running around, causing havoc."

"You do!?" Cynder exclaimed. "Who is it?"

Zaze smirked. This was it. All logic had come to this. It was time to end this case once and for all.

He raised his paw, and pointed to the dragon. "Well of course, it's none other than the purple dragon himself, Spyro."

As if to emphasize his point, thunder boomed from the distance, punctuate the big reveal. However, the dramatic was responded with a well rounded response.

"Are you crazy!?" Cynder said. "Spyro? As in Spyro? The Spyro standing next to me?"

"No, I'm not crazy, and yes, it's him," said Zaze.

"I suggest that you step away from him Cynder. He's very dangerous."

Spyro on the other hand just smiled at Zaze sardonically. "Okay, Mr. Detective, how did I do it then? How did I kill Kastel?"

"It was simple," Zaze replied. "You did it last night. Sparx told us earlier that you left that night, claiming that you had to go to the bathroom."

0 = 0 = 0

"I don't know how important this may be but well, I was woken up late last night when Spyro left. I think he went to the bathroom; his head was aching, badly, and he wanted a drink of water to maybe ease the pain. I don't remember him going back though. I fell asleep as soon as the door closed."

0 = 0 = 0

"During that given time frame, you came across Kastel. That was when you killed him."

"And how do you propose I did that?"

"You used the metal spike. That was one of the things that made you a big suspect."

"Why is that?"

"By using the metal spike, you helped me narrow the list of suspects down. This wasn't the only time you struck. You were the one responsible for messing up my room and freezing Latis in an ice cube. Almost all elements were used in those cases. You burned the curtains, fire."

0 = 0 = 0

Zaze approached the piece of fabric, and examined it. It was burnt. He hummed to himself, thinking deeply and considering everything that has happened. No one in the right mind would mess up a room with no clear motivation.

0 = 0 = 0

"There was some dirt found near my bed, earth."

0 = 0 = 0

He looked down at the side of his pile of cushions and found…dirt. He touched it, brought it up close to his maw and took a short sniff to confirm. It really was dirt. In all of it's earthy like scent. What the hell was dirt doing in his room? Could this be a clue to finding out who messed his room and why? Maybe it was, or it wasn't. Nonetheless, he took note of the traces of dirt found in his room, before heading out.

0 = 0 = 0

"And you froze Latis, ice. It almost led me to believe that there were multiple dragons working together, but that's just unlikely. Everyone's alibis were too watertight. Yours was the only one that wasn't. You didn't kill Kastel with the metal spike. There were peculiar marks on his body that intrigued me, and later I found out what they were. You electrocuted him with it. The marks were made by electricity."

Spyro chuckled darkly. Here he was, having a headache that was threatening to split his head open, and now he was being confronted and told to be the murderer? Talk about having a bad day. Nonetheless, he found the idea rather humorous, so he played along.

"Interesting…theory that clearly puts me in hot water now does it? However…Zaze, why on earth would I do all those things? Mess up your room, freeze poor Latis and kill a dragon I don't even know. I don't even have a motive."

"Simple. It's because you don't have one."

This time, it was Latis who reacted.

"Wait what? He doesn't have one? Zaze, did you get your facts straight?"

Zaze nodded. "It doesn't make sense for someone like him to do all these things. Who on earth would believe me if I said Spyro was the culprit? The purple dragon that saved everyone happens to be a murderer as well of an innocent dragon? No, it wouldn't make any sense. But it does."

"You're not making any sense, Zaze," said Cynder. "You say it's him, then not him? Who is it then!?"

"It's Spyro, but not Spyro. Who else is there?" Zaze asked smartly.

It took a moment for Cynder to realize what he was implying, and glanced at Spyro.

"It can't be…" she said, backing away from him.

"But it is," said Zaze. "The main symptom was his headaches."

"My headaches?" Spyro asked.

"Yes. That was the only sign that hinted of your…changing. It was slow though; very slow. It began way back during the party, as was told to me by your brother, Sparx. Maybe even before that, given that you were the one responsible for messing up my room. I don't know how it got to you, but it's there. The Darkness in you is slowly taking over your body."

0 = 0 = 0

"Not much is known about how a Dark Dragon comes to be. But the lack of information is because Dark Dragons are linked to Purple Dragons in some way. At least that's the theory. If I go by how Cynder became a Dark Dragon, I would have to assume the Purple Dragon in question, Malefor in this case, used his power to amplify the darkness that already existed in her heart. We have reason to believe that she was raised so that she had a great amount of darkness in her heart. But with Spyro's power, combined with his kindness, helped to rid her heart of that darkness; or at least lowered it to a point where she has a reason to fight the darkness. However, she still has her memories; therefore she will always have a level of darkness in her heart. But many dragons do have a certain amount of darkness in their hearts." Terrador explained.

0 = 0 = 0

"Now it makes sense…that's why…that's why you attacked Flame…" said Cynder. "I know you wouldn't do it on purpose."

0 = 0 = 0

"Spyro! What are you doing!?" she shouted. "You're going to kill him!"  
"What!?" Zaze exclaimed. "What is he going to do?"  
"Spyro's going to use Convexity! Flame won't survive that."

"HE'S GOING TO WHAT!?" Sparx exclaimed.  
Ember realized that Flame was in a dangerous position. "Flame! Get out of there!"

But it was too late.

0 = 0 = 0

That was it. That was the final ammunition that Zaze had left in him. He had thrown everything at Spyro. The only thing left was for him to confess, and they can sort out this entire Dark Dragon debacle that has been going. By now, Cynder was standing next to Latis, a considerable distance away from Spyro. The atmosphere has gotten gloomier as the dark skies showed no sign of disappearing, thunder and lightning booming from the distance.

"Great job Zaze, for figuring all this out," said Cynder.

"Thanks. And I'm sorry. For you know, originally thinking you were the one who messed up my room."

"Apology accepted."

"Uh…guys," said Latis.

"…Took you long enough to figure it out…"

Zaze looked up. That voice was definitely not Spyro's. He glanced at where the purple dragon stood, and instead found a different dragon. It would seem the true culprit had finally shown himself.

A memory immediately came to mind.

0 = 0 = 0

It was a dragon engulfed in a black aura dark as darkness itself. The only thing you could see was his eyes. And they were white and glowed eerily as he stared at the horizon filled with destruction. A stare, filled with the strongest murderous intent there ever was. It sent chills down Zaze's spine, making his legs shake a little. Never had he seen someone so intent with the desire to kill.

0 = 0 = 0

It was the very same dragon; the very same dragon that he had seen from the vision.

Cynder eyes widened. "Zaze…that's not Spyro"

"What?" Zaze asked.

"That's not Spyro. I've seen him transform as a Dark Dragon and that's not how he looks…"

"W-who are you?" Latis called out.

"Who am I?" asked the Dark Dragon. "I have no name. But you can try asking him."

He motioned to Zaze with a paw.

"What are you talking about?"

The Dark Dragon cocked his head to the side. "Odd…you go by a different name now…Zaze wasn't it?"

Zaze was caught off guard. "You know who I am!?"

The Dark Dragon chuckled. "Of course I do. We've been together for a long time…I've helped you and you helped me…up until…well that doesn't matter anymore. I've got this new puppet for me."

"Puppet?" Cynder asked.

"Yes…he fought valiantly. But no one can resist me."

The Dark Dragon smiled, looking at the three of them.

"I was surprised at first when I saw you alive," he motioned to Zaze. "I didn't think you survived after that entire failure of a dream you had. You were too forgiving; too merciful, which led to your inevitable defeat. But still, a good dream nonetheless. I wondered if you still wanted to work with me, be with me again. Make the dream a reality. So I tried to make my presence known. I tried something simple."

Zaze eyes widened. "You messed up my room…"

"Yes. That was the first try. However, it would seem my efforts were in vain. You just dismissed it as a prank, focusing your attention onto others who weren't worth your time. So I tried to be more forceful; showcase you the skills I can do with this new found body, which was tirelessly resisting me, but failing miserably.

"You attacked Flame…" Zaze said.

"Yes…the poor dragon was an imbecile to try and fight me. But I humoured him, and didn't hold back. Did you enjoy watching your friend burn?" He smiled, seeing the disapproving looks he was given. "Of course you didn't. But I expected you to be. But instead you helped him, which completely baffled me. I thought you wanted nothing but pure unlimited power. I began to have thoughts if you still wanted to have your dream achieved. So I gave you one last chance."

"And that was when you attacked me…" Latis said, shivering slightly as the Dark Dragon stared at her.

"I thought for sure that you'd notice me by then. And come talking to me, think of plans to continue our dream. But you did not. You helped her, saved her. That was your last chance. If you didn't want to work with me, and continue the dream we had, then I am left with no other choice. No one can stand in my way, and I made sure to make it a point."

"So you killed Kastel just to make a point!? Why?!" Zaze shouted.

"Yes. I killed him. Why? To make a point, that's why. To make it known that if you resist me, I will have no second thoughts of ending your life. We could have had a great partnership, you and I, but it would seem the fire that driven you to pursue your dream has been long extinguished. It doesn't matter. I can still achieve what you failed to achieve, and do it better."

The Dark Dragon laughed maniacally. It echoed in everyone's ear, making a shiver pass down their spine. This was the real deal.

"But there's just one thing I have to do before everything else."

"And that is?" Zaze asked, somehow having an idea already.

"If you don't want to join me, then I'm afraid I have to take you out of the picture. I shall not tolerate any interference whatsoever. But I already know your answer."

The Dark Dragon smiled murderously. Air around him began to crackle as the dark aura around him swirled. He began to glow a slight hue of yellow that showed an air of familiarity. Cynder cocked her head to the side. She had seen this before.

"I'm sorry old friend," he said. "But this is it; I've talked long enough."

A devious grin formed across his muzzle.

"TIME TO DIE!"

The Dark Dragon charged forward, before disappearing into thin air.

"Where'd he go!?" Latis asked, looking around wildly.

As if answering her question, the Dark Dragon materialized right behind the three of them.

"Over here."

Latis yelped as the Dark Dragon's tail whipped her side, making her body collide with Zaze. The momentum was strong enough, as it sent the two dragons skidding across the floor. Cynder however reacted fast, and melted into the floor as she used her shadow ability. For a moment she was having second thoughts whether to attack the dark dragon. This was still Spyro's body after all, even if he was under the control of the Darkness inside him. But she pushed it aside. If she didn't do anything, they'd all end up dead. Sensing the right moment, she pounced, emerging from the shadows, claws headed straight for the Dark Dragon. But she only collided with thin air. In a blink of an eye, the Dark Dragon disappeared.

"Dang it, he moves fast!" Cynder said, looking around. "You guys see him!?"

"CYNDER! ABOVE YOU! Watch out!" Zaze exclaimed.

"Do I frighten you!?"

Cynder barely had enough time to register the action in her mind. She jumped to the side as a large boulder came crashing down to where she originally stood. The Dark Dragon emerged from the debris of smoke, a maniacal smirk on his face. He turned his head and glanced at Zaze and Latis, who were now, back on their feet.

"Is this all you three got? It's already one against three, and I'm still standing firmly."

"Oh yeah!? How about this!"

Latis opened her maw and shot icicle after icicle at him, at a rapid pace. Zaze used this as oncoming pressure, to try and get an advantage over his sheer speed. He too supercharged himself and charged at the Dark Dragon. The Dark Dragon on the other hand just chuckled mockingly and blocked Latis' attack by summoning a rock wall in front of him with a stomp of his foot. Cynder didn't let this opportunity go to waste. Opening her maw, she lobbed blobs of poison at him, to try and keep him in place. Without even turning around, icicles appeared out of nowhere and collided with the blobs, melting them effectively and efficiently.

"What!?" Cynder exclaimed. "How on earth did he even block all of that?"

Zaze roared and zipped to the side. He tried to attack, but instead only met a rock wall. He zipped to the side again, and found only a fire wall. Wherever he went, he was given an obstacle.

If he couldn't take it from the side, there was only one place left to go. With quick manoeuvring, he jumped to the air and attempted to come down on top of the Dark Dragon.

That was when the air itself seemingly exploded.

0

The Ice Guardian walked gloomily through the halls of the Temple, his tail sagging down the floor corridor. Talking to Pyrus made him reflect deeply on his life. He had spent some alone time at the streets of Warfang, walking aimlessly and trying to gather his thoughts. But here he was now, back and with one goal in mind. Cyril was about to do the one thing he never imagined he would do. Swallow his pride. He had done a lot of bad things in his life, and now, now was the time to pay for them. And the first thing in order was to apologize. Apologize to the one dragoness that made him see the error of his ways. He only hoped that she would listen long enough for him to not receive a slap across the face.

He rounded around the corner, and reached his destination. It was the infirmary. This was the best place to look for her. Sighing, he opened the door. What immediately soon followed, had him gasping for breath. The smell of blood reeked in the air and it made him nauseous. It was as if something died in the room.

"Alyssa?" he called out. "Wow…what is that stench?"

As if on cue, the dragoness in question appeared.

"What is it?" she asked. Her expression immediately turned sour, upon seeing Cyril's face. "Oh…it's you."

"Yes, it's me," said Cyril. "Listen, I—"

Alyssa raised a paw. "No, please. Just…I'm busy, okay? I'm examining a dead body."

"I under—wait, what?" Cyril asked. "You're performing an autopsy?"

"I am, Cyril. Where have you been?" Alyssa asked flatly.

"I was…reflecting, about the things you've said. Listen, I'm sorry okay."

Alyssa scoffed and rolled her eyes. She was about to turn, when Cyril grabbed hold of her shoulder.

"I mean it." He looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry. For everything."

Alyssa looked into his eyes, and saw his intention. He really did mean it. However, before she could reply, a loud crash came from above, disrupting their encounter.

"What was that!?" Cyril shouted.

"Cyril, when all of this is over, we'll talk? Okay?" Alyssa asked.

"I understand."

"Good. Now come on, that couldn't have been good."

0

A flash of light blinded Zaze's eyes before he felt himself being flung from the air. He screamed in agony as hundreds of small rocks and icicles pebbled and hammered him, leaving cuts and bruises. Some even embedded themselves at his chest. He crashed down the floor, with a loud thud, blood slowly beginning to ooze from his wounds. To top it off, he felt a sharp stinging pain from his right cheek. An icicle drove past him, leaving a deep gash that barely missed his right eye. His breath was heavy as his body was. The electricity that supercharged his muscles disappeared, leaving him lying on the floor breathless. He forced himself to glance up, to see Latis and Cynder in the same predicament.

It would seem that the blast had caught them also off guard, and now their bodies were lying their, lifeless on the floor. He only hoped that they were still alive. The Dark Dragon on the other hand stood ominously in the middle, barely a scratch on him nor a bead of sweat.

"So that's it!?" He called out mockingly. "That's all you've got!?"

The only response he got was nothing but the loud boom of thunder.

"I expected more of a challenge from you Zaze. But I don't have time to play with you any longer. I've already spent 7 minutes on this meaningless battle. It's high time I finished you all off. Starting…" He glanced at the ice dragoness. "…with you. I should have killed you when I had the chance."

He began to walk towards Latis, flexing his claws. At that moment, it seemed like everything went into slow motion for Zaze. Where had it all gone wrong? He had broken the case wide open, figured out and confronted the killer. But here was now, lying battered and bruised, barely able to move a muscle as the killer he sough out aimed to strike one again. Some heroic detective he was. He had completely underestimated his adversary, thinking he'd go down peacefully and not fight back. Now he had to pay the price for his over confidence. He watched in horror as The Dark Dragon turned Latis over so that her face was visible to Zaze. She was whimpering and fear was clearly evident in her face. The Dark Dragon laughed darkly.

"I'll give you the honor, Zaze, of seeing your friends die right before your very eyes!"

The Dark Dragon's paw began to glow an eerie color of blue as he focused all his elemental energy there. Latis was trying her best to crawl away from the spot but was held in place by the Dark Dragon's other free paw.

Latis glanced at Zaze. "I'm sorry Zaze. I couldn't be of any help." She then closed her eyes, just waiting for the inevitable paw that will crush her skull.

It was at that moment that time itself seemed to slow down for Zaze. He cursed himself for not being able to do anything; being forced to watch the horrific death of his friend. He bit his lip. He wasn't going to let it happen. He forced himself to stand up, his body and mind screaming at him from the sheer pain he was in. But he drowned it all out. He tried summoning his elemental powers within him, to try and distract The Dark Dragon, to stop him from killing Latis. But nothing came out. His body had been depleted of all of its energy. He was powerless. Zaze grimaced from the pain. There had to be something left in him. Something he could draw power from.

Cynder watched in silent horror as The Dark Dragon poised himself and charged his paw, to deal the fatal blow to Latis. She couldn't believe that this was Spyro standing before her. No, this wasn't him. This was someone else completely, just using Spyro as a puppet. Her mind yelled at her to do something, anything. But her body screamed back, forcing her to lay there to just stop her from feeling the sheer pain she was in.

That was when something caught her eye.

Zaze, who was now standing which amazed her, was glowing a color of deep purple. Concentration was etched onto his face. The color felt familiar to her. She had seen it before.

"Say goodbye," whispered The Dark Dragon, before plunging his paw.

Latis closed her eyes, death incoming at her.

Out of nowhere, a loud roar came out, followed by an explosion of light. The Dark Dragon shouted in agony as he was blasted full force by a strong beam of energy. Cynder couldn't believe her eyes. Zaze…Zaze was…Zaze was using the element of…Convexity.

Zaze, an electric dragon, was using Convexity.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Cynder watched as the sheer momentum of the Convexity blast sent the Dark Dragon crashing into the Temple wall. From there, he was finished off by the beam, followed by a flourish of bright light. She had to close her eyes to shield them. It was too bright for her to see.

After what seemed like a few precious tense moments, she opened her eyes. Spyro's body laid flat on the floor, battered, bruised and burnt. The Darkness that engulfed him was no longer evident, only leaving plumes of black smoke that dissipated into the air. She turned her head as she heard the sound of a thud.

"ZAZE!" Latis called out, suddenly finding her voice.

The electric dragon collapsed on the floor, lifeless and unmoving. Latis forced herself to stand up, cringing and grimacing as pain travelled through her body. It took her a few moments to do so, but soon she was standing on her four paws, albeit on wobbly legs. The Dark Dragon did some hefty work on her. She limped over to Zaze, panting. Even a task such as walking was made hard due to her injuries. Cynder on the other hand stood up, and limped over to her mate.

Spyro was out cold, but after a quick check, no doubt alive. There was a pulse, faint as it was, but still, it was there. She immediately limped to the other side, to check on Zaze.

"Zaze…?" Latis whispered. The electric dragon had his eyes closed, and was unmoving. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Did his friend die to save her?

"Is he alive?" Cynder rasped. Latis was too visibly shocked to even respond. Cynder couldn't blame her.

This must have been her first time to be in such a high octane life threatening situation.

Cynder moved her paw down to check on Zaze's pulse. She could almost feel nothing. But it was there, and was fading fast. That attack took everything he had from him. Cynder sighed. At least it was enough and finished off the Dark Dragon for good. For now, they had to focus on getting the two males some much needed medical attention.

"Come on Latis, we need to get these two inside," she said.

It took a moment for Latis to snap back into attention. "I'll go get the others!"

"Hurry! We don't have any time to waste!"

So many questions raced through Cynder's head as she gently carried Zaze's body.

But one question stuck the most.

Who is Zaze the Dragon?

************************ TO BE CONTINUED *************************

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**YES! And that is it folks! Now do you know why I couldn't post it yesterday? Talk about a longer chapter than usual. Plot heavy too. Thank you guys for following this fic, especially all the reviewers. Remember, I feed off reviews. It makes me feel all warm and tingly inside, knowing that people follow my fic and bother themselves enough to leave insightful reviews.**

**And yes, this is the final chapter for this story. It's more of a cliffhanger ending. But it is open to a sequel, as long as you guys want it. Just leave it in the comments. I did leave a lot of things to help me start off a sequel. Even left Cyril's Social Arc rather halfway done, with him going to have a little talk with Alyssa.**

**And now we have a villain that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Or did he now? Regardless, internet cookies to anyone who can figure out who I based the Dark Dragon off. Here's a hint, he's a rather well known villain, if you play videogames. His signature is the fact that he wears sunglasses, even at night. **

**It's been a long and arduous path, but here I am at the end of another great fic. I'd like to thank you all for joining me in this great adventure. There have been so many questions left wide open. **

**What is the dark dragon's relation to Zaze? If there is even any.**

**How did the dark dragon know who he was?**

**What was this dream the dark dragon spoke off?**

**Is Zaze's vision going to come true?**

**And last, but the most important question of them all:**

******Who exactly is Zaze the Dragon?**

**All these questions will be answered, if you guys want me to. I and Alec are up to the task, as long as you guys are willing to read it. If you guys want a sequel, just go ahead and leave us comments.**

**On behalf of my co-writer, Alec the Dark Angel, and I, Viperwatcher, bid you all farewell.**

**Until next time folks.**

**TIMELINE:**

**This Fanfic was made on June 14 2012 and was finished on December 10 2012.**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


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